ISIS sympathiser plotting subversive activities held in Hyderabad

A 22-year-old youth, a native of AP, who had converted to Islam and allegedly joined the Islamic State terror group taking an oath to carry out subversive activities in the country.

HYDERABAD: A 22-year-old youth, a native of Andhra Pradesh, who had converted to Islam and allegedly joined the Islamic State terror group taking an oath to carry out subversive activities in the country at the instigation of a Mumbai-based IS sympathiser, was arrested by the Hyderabad police on Friday. 

This is probably the first arrest of a person hailing from AP who joined the radical terror organisation. The arrest comes months after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) traced ISIS links to AP.  Konakalla Subramanyam alias Omer was a native of Challapally mandal in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. After converting to Islam he has been staying at Toli Chowki in Hyderabad.  

Additional commissioner of police (SIT) Swati Lakra said Subramanyam had embraced Islam in 2014. Later, he visited Gujarat and received training in religious rituals and scriptures. He also visited Srinagar and some other places in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai. 

According to sources, while studying Intermediate, Subramanyam was influenced by his friends and in 2014, while studying degree course, embraced Islam. He changed his name to Omer.

“Without the knowledge of his father Narasimha Rao, Omer joined a team of preachers and went to Gujarat to participate in a religious event.  

Then he moved to Siddapur and joined a madrasa where he learned Urdu and stayed for nine months. During that time, he also visited Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and worked as a teacher for `3,000,” said an official. His father traced him and brought him back to the village. After a few days, Omer fought with his father and moved to Ambur in TN and joined another madrasa but was again brought back to his village. Later, Omer moved to Hyderabad, stayed with his relatives at Balanagar and sold soft drinks for a living.

“In Hyderabad, his access to social media like Facebook, WhatsApp increased, he got in touch with one Abu Qahafa Al-Hindi of Mumbai, an ISIS sympathiser. Through Facebook, Omer met one Ameer of Warangal, who lives in Tolichowki. As Ameer is a specially-abled person, Omer moved to his place in the guise of a caretaker,” ACP said. “Omer wanted to carry out subversive activities,” Swati Lakra said. Police registered cases under Section 120(B) (Punishment for criminal conspiracy), 121A (Waging or attempting to wage war against the Govt of India), 124 A (Sedition) of IPC and Section 10 and 13 Unlawful Activities of Prevention Act 1967.

ISIS Links with AP
Sources said that in January this year, for the first time, ISIS links were traced to Andhra Pradesh. Two youngsters from the coastal districts of AP were said to have joined ISIS by taking an oath of allegiance to its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. NIA officials obtained leads on the two persons from AP who joined the ISIS ranks. They have been identified as Rehman from Machilipatnam and a scientist from Guntur.

ISIS suspect searched for hideouts in city: NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a supplementary charge sheet before the special NIA court against one of the accused Mohammed Irfan for his alleged role in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) module. During the probe, it was allegedly found t h at I r fan had searched for hideouts for training for the members of the module besides a safe house on the outskirts of Hyderabad along with another accused Muzaffar Hussain Rizwan, the officials told the NIA court.

Irfan had allegedly collected and transported explosive precursors from Nalgonda and Anantapur districts after receiving the location from an overseas handler. “The electronic gadgets seized from Irfan establishes his radicalisation with ISIS ideology and he was in possession of materials like ‘Mujahid Guide’ and ‘How to conduct lone wolve attacks’ and was very much influenced by jihadi Ideologues like Anwar Awlaki, Omar Bakri Mohammed,” NIA added.

Mohammed Irfan (28) was arrested on January 17, 2017. On June 29, 2016, the NIA had arrested eight persons - Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi, Mohammed lbrahim Yazdani , Habeeb Mohammed, Mohammed llyas Yazdani , Muzaffar Hussain Rizwan, Yasir Naimathullah, Ataullah Rahman, all from Hyderabad. Mohammed Irfan allegedlypledged is allegiance to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the selfproclaimed Caliph of the ISIS, in the presence of Rizwan and another accomplice and he was given a Kuniya name (alias) as Abu Jafar by Ibrahim Yazdani.

‘’On the instructions of Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, Irfan had collected and transported explosive precursors along with an aide Mohammed Ilyas Yazdani from the outskirts of Pochampally village of Nalgonda district from a location received from the overseas handler, suspected to be Anwar Awlaki.

Ifran also went to Anantapur town to send co-ordinates of the spot through Ibrahim Yazdani and collect explosives from an unknown person sent by the overseas handler in pursuance of the conspiracy,” the NIA officials said. The NIA sleuths further said that investigation with respect to the ISIS handlers operating from outside India is continuing.

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