The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a business analyst at a Chennai bank and a rice merchant from Bengaluru for their alleged affiliation to Islamic State and for entering into a conspiracy “to radicalize and motivate Muslim youth of Bengaluru” to join the banned terror outfit.
The NIA claimed that the accused had raised funds to facilitate the travel of young men from Bengaluru to Syria in 2013-14. At least two from Bengaluru were killed in Syria, the NIA said. The agency did not disclose the identity of those killed.
The accused have been identified as Ahamed Abdul Cader, 40, and Irfan Nasir, 33. The NIA said that Cader is a business analyst at a bank in Chennai, and Nasir is a rice merchant in Bengaluru.
The case was registered suo motu by the NIA on September 19, after certain incriminating facts emerged about a Bengaluru-based ISIS module during the investigation of another case where a Bengaluru-based ophthalmologist Abdur Rahman was arrested. During Rahman’s examination, names of other associates who had travelled to Syria in 2013-2014 to join the ISIS came to be known.
“Further investigation resulted in the busting of a module wherein it was revealed that accused Ahamed Abdul Cader, Irfan Nasir and their associates were members of the Hizb-ut-Tehrir, and they had formed a group called ‘Quran Circle’ which radicalized gullible Muslim youth in Bengaluru and funded their visit to conflict zone in Syria to aid and assist the ISIS terrorists,” NIA said in a statement.
Based on the information, the NIA registered a case under Sections 120B and 125 of IPC, and Sections 17, 18 and 18B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused for affiliation with the banned terrorist organization ISIS/ISIL/Daesh and for “entering into a conspiracy to radicalize and motivate Muslim youth of Bengaluru to join ISIS and for raising funds to facilitate their travel to Syria”.
The NIA said the accused and their associates played a very significant role in radicalisation of the members of the group and arranged funds through donations and their own sources for the visit of Rahman and others from Bengaluru to Syria to join the ISIS.
The NIA said searches were conducted at the premises of the accused, and incriminating material and electronic devices had been seized.
The accused were produced before Special NIA Court in Bengaluru and NIA custody for 10 days has been granted for interrogation.
