Muslim groups back IOC official held for IS links

Islamic organisations in Rajasthan have come out in support of Mohammed Sirajuddin, who was recently arrested for alleged links with the Islamic State.

Islamic organisations in Rajasthan have come out in support of Mohammed Sirajuddin, who was recently arrested for alleged links with the Islamic State (IS).

On Sunday, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Forum for Democratic and Communal Amity (FDCA) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) expressed solidarity with Sirajuddin, marketing manager at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) here, who was arrested by the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) on December 10 for alleged links with IS.

‘There’s no proof’

Mohammad Salim Engineer, National Secretary of JIH, said: “The police said Sirajuddin is an IS agent, but it is yet to be ascertained and investigations are under way. Tagging him as an ‘IS agent’ without proof could ruin his career.”

Mr. Engineer claimed that such instances had been witnessed in the past when Muslim youth were arrested by the police for supporting banned organisations but were later released because they had been falsely implicated.

Father allowed meeting

Sirajuddin’s father, Mohammad Sarwar, who met him on Saturday said, “I spoke to him for about half an hour. He [Sirajuddin] has committed no crime against the country.”

After the arrest on December 10, Mr. Sarwar had travelled to Jaipur from Gulbarga, Karnataka, to meet his son but was not given permission. During his second visit, however, he was allowed to meet Sirajuddin, who is currently under police remand.

“My younger son and I came to Jaipur to meet him [Sirajuddin]. Sirajuddin told me that he had done nothing wrong. My son is an honest man, he cannot commit such a crime,” Mr. Sarwar, who is a retired agriculture department official, said.

Sirajuddin's lawyer Paker Farooq said, “ He has been falsely implicated. The FIR states that he exchanged his views over Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, and he was in possession of copies of ‘Dabiq’ — the propaganda magazine of IS. This doesn't prove that he has committed any crime.”

Mr. Farooq said that on Monday he would move an application in the court here for Sirajuddin’s release. The family would later approach the Rajasthan High Court asking that the case against him be quashed.

Mr. Engineer said IS was an anti-Muslim organisation and that its acts must be condemned, but the police cannot arrest an alleged IS sympathiser and call him a criminal. They should take up deradicalisation, he said.

Published - December 21, 2015 12:46 am IST