KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team probing the case against suspected IS members from Kerala has stumbled upon a WhatsApp group operating from Afghanistan communicating with certain people in Kasargod.
NIA, which was in Kasargod last week, interrogated persons who were members of the group last day.
According to NIA officers, the WhatsApp group was started by Kasargod native Abdul Rashid who led 21 persons to Afghanistan. “We have examined a few witnesses at Kasargod and extracted messages as part of the investigation into the IS case being probed by our team.
Abdul Rashid started the group using the mobile number taken from Afghanistan and added his acquaintances in Kerala. His family members have identified the Afghan number used by him,” an NIA officer said.
However, NIA suspects the group may have been formed to radicalise and invite more people to IS. The group used to speak about the lives of those who migrated from Kerala to Afghanistan.
“It might be part of Dawah work assigned by the people handling them in Afghanistan. It is possible the group was formed to seek clarification about the conditions and virtues of life in IS after reports of US MOAB attack at IS held territory in Afghanistan,” the officer said.
However, NIA is not registering a case in this matter as it has decided to include it as part of the investigation in the case registered against the 14 persons from Kasargod who migrated to Afghanistan.