Three youths from Coimbatore, who were recently questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their suspected links with international terror outfit IS or its local module, were asked to appear before top officials in Kochi for questioning.
The three were identified as Nivas Khan, a welder, Nawaz, a college student, and Sheik Safiullah, a medical representative. They went to Kochi with their families on Wednesday.
On October 1, the NIA arrested six youths for their alleged links with an IS-inspired module at Kannur, Kerala. They included Abu Basheer alias Rashid alias Buccha alias Dalpati alias Ameer (29) from GM Nagar area in South Ukkadam, Coimbatore. NIA sleuths, along with the police, also conducted a raid in that locality the next day.
Since then, the NIA has questioned 15 youths of G.M. Nagar and its vicinity for their suspected links with the IS and modules inspired by it.
They were quizzed based on their contacts with Abu Basheer on social media. However, nobody was arrested.
At this juncture, the NIA asked three of them to appear before the top officials of the investigation agency for inquiry.
Senior police officials and leaders of Islamic organisations and political parties who came to the police commissioner’s office on Wednesday, said the three had applied for passports to countries (like Syria and Turkey) where the IS is very active.
Representatives of the Islamic organisations said they had come to the police office on Wednesday to learn about the progress in the investigation.
They also appealed to the police, the NIA and the government not to disturb the youth if they were found to be innocent.
