NIA chargesheets eight for running pro-IS channels

Their aim was to radicalise, recruit new members to IS, says agency

The National Investigation Agency on Friday filed a chargesheet against eight persons in the Islamic State (IS) Kerala module case, on Friday.

Those arrigned as accused are Deepthi Marla, alias Maryam; Mohammed Waqar Lone, alias Wilson Kashmiri; Mizha Siddeeque; Shifa Haris, alias Ayesha; Obaid Hamid Matta; Madesh Shankar, alias Abdullah; Ammar Abdul Rahiman, and Muzamil Hassan Bhat.

Social media platforms

The NIA had registered the case in March 2021 pertaining to the alleged terrorist activities of Mohammed Ameen, alias Abu Yahya, a resident of Kerala, and his associates, who were running IS propaganda channels on social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop, and Instagram for propagating the violent ideology of the IS. The aim was to radicalise and recruit new members to the IS module, the NIA said. The agency had filed a chargesheet against three persons in this case in September 2021.

Investigations revealed that all the eight chargesheeted on Friday were affiliated with the IS and were involved in radicalising, recruiting, organising terror funding, and grooming gullible Muslim youth through secured social media platforms to join the IS. Further investigations would continue, a press release from the agency said.