22-Year-Old Odisha Man Honey-Trapped By 'Pakistani Woman' In Chilling Radical Plot

A case of digital manipulation and alleged radicalisation surfaced from Odisha's Bhubaneswar, where 22-year-old Sheikh Imran was arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday. Imran is suspected to have developed links with a radical network, with clues of cyber training and foreign influence.

According to TOI report, sources in the Odisha police reveal that Imran allegedly underwent short-term training in cyber tradecraft linked to terrorism. He was honey-trapped by a suspected Pakistani woman, who allegedly manipulated and forced him into joining the group.

“Through his social media accounts, he came in contact with a close group, where radical content on religious lines was circulated,” a written statement by the commissionerate police said.

Imran made multiple trips to Delhi over the past year, reportedly to meet the woman and attend a week-long programme designed to teach specialised cyber techniques used in subversive activities.

The Odisha Crime Branch STF—the state’s nodal agency for tackling organised crime and terror—has now intensified its probe. Officials are analysing Imran’s online chats, attempting to decode the extent of his involvement and identify potential accomplices.

“The honey-trap angle and cyber terrorism training are being verified,” STF SP Rabi Satapathy said, adding they are trying to find out whether others from Odisha were part of the radical group. “Imran’s background is being thoroughly checked,” he said.

Authorities are working in close coordination across states, examining his digital footprint, financial trails, and call records. Notably, Imran’s name reportedly surfaced during the interrogation of several youths detained in Delhi last week, further deepening the mystery.

“My son was glued to his mobile phone for hours, but I never imagined he was involved in anti-national activities. I believe the mobile phone ruined him,” his father Sheikh Amir said.

While police have described Imran as unemployed, his father insists otherwise. “He often asked me for money. I told him to find work, and he said he was doing food delivery, though I was never sure,” Amir said.