Thane News: Over 1,200 Attend Funeral Of Alleged ISIS Operative Saquib Nachan Amid Tight Security In Padgha; Son Shamil Granted Custody Parole For Last Rites

Thane: Over 1,200 people attended the funeral of Saquib Nachan, who was allegedly arrested by the NIA in the ISIS module case of 2023 and died due to a brain hemorrhage in Delhi. The funeral was held on Monday morning in Padgha, Thane district, under heavy police security and was attended by his son, Shamil Nachan.

Shamil, also an accused in the ISIS module case, is currently lodged in Taloja Jail. He was granted permission to attend his father’s last rites and was brought to Padgha under the escort of Navi Mumbai Police.

According to sources, Saquib’s mortal remains were transported from Delhi to Mumbai on Sunday night and kept at his residence in Padgha, where police personnel were deployed overnight for security. The funeral took place at the local graveyard around 10 am to 10.30 following morning Namaz.

Several shops in Borivli were reportedly shut during the funeral procession, although businesses in Padgha remained open as usual. Police officers and vans were deployed along the route from the Padgha toll plaza on the Mumbai-Nashik highway to the graveyard.

Sources also stated that people slowly gathered at the graveyard to pay their last respects, and many were also seen trying to catch a glimpse of Shamil Nachan. "There is speculation that Shamil might emerge as Saquib’s successor, based on the attention he received during the ceremony", said an officer.

A police inspector posted in Padgha earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the department had anticipated a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 but recorded just over 1,200 attendees. “The funeral procession was conducted peacefully without any disturbances,” the officer said, adding that heavy police deployment remained in place throughout Padgha and Borivli.

After the funeral, Shamil met briefly with family members before being escorted back by police around 11:35 a.m. Local residents described Saquib Nachan, 63, as a well-known figure in the area.

A former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Saquib was one of the key accused in the high-profile Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module case. He died in Delhi on Saturday following a brain stroke.

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