Who is Saquib Nachan? Alleged ISIS India chief who died in judicial custody

Saquib Nachan, an accused with alleged links to the terror group Islamic State (ISIS) in India and a former senior member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), passed away in judicial custody on Saturday afternoon at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. He was 67 and died from a brain haemorrhage. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Nachan was also a self-styled Amir-e-Hind for ISIS in India.

He had been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2023 after being arrested by the NIA for his alleged role in an ISIS-linked terror module based in Delhi and Maharashtra’s Padgha area.

He was taken to the hospital on Tuesday after his health deteriorated in custody. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Though he was kept under observation, he was later declared dead at 12:10 pm.

Hailing from Padgha in Maharashtra's Thane district, Nachan was once a key leader of SIMI, which was banned in 2001 for anti-national activities.

He first came under the spotlight during investigations into bomb blasts in Mumbai in 2002 and 2003, including attacks at Mumbai Central, Vile Parle, and Mulund, which killed 13 people and injured many more.

He was later convicted of possessing illegal weapons, including an AK-56 rifle, and was sentenced to 10 years in jail under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). He was released in 2017 after serving his sentence with remission for good behaviour.

In 2023, the NIA arrested him again and named him the main accused in the Delhi–Padgha ISIS module case, as part of a nationwide crackdown on ISIS networks.

Who was Saquib Nachan?

Saquib Nachan was born into a well-known and respected Konkani Muslim family in Padgha, a village about 53 km north of Mumbai. He was the third of twelve children born to Abdul Hamid Nachan, a prominent leader in the local community. Saquib spent his early years in comfort on his family’s large property.

After completing a degree in commerce, he first became involved with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, and in the early 1980s, he joined its student wing, SIMI, which was later banned by the Government of India.

According to reports, Saquib Nachan’s body will be handed over to his family after a post-mortem examination. Officials said that his last rites will take place on Sunday at Borivali village near Maharashtra's Padgha.