KOCHI: To unravel Indian links with Sri Lanka Easter blasts, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has decided to interrogate members of an Islamic State (IS) module based in Coimbatore who were arrested in June this year. The agency is planning to quiz Mohammed Azarudeen and Sheik Hidayathullah from Coimbatore who are currently in judicial custody.
In June this year, NIA carried out raids at multiple locations in Coimbatore and nearby areas to track down an IS-backed module which had contacts with persons involved in the Easter blasts. During raids, laptops, SIM cards, memory cards, internet dongle, CDs and DVDs were seized. A large number of documents including pamphlets was seized.
A case was registered against several youths from Tamil Nadu. Azarudeen, who is suspected to be the leader of the group, and its active member Hidayathullah were arrested. “NIA after examining the mobile and social media activities of the arrested persons has gathered some crucial evidence about the links of the group with the persons involved in the Easter blasts.
The NIA had found that Azarudeen had done Facebook chats with some other accused persons in the Lanka blasts. The mobile phones, hard disks and SIM cards were examined by CDAC,” said a source. The agency has filed a petition at the NIA court seeking custody of the duo for more interrogation. The court will consider the petition on Friday. “The digital evidence collected as part of the probe is to be verified through the accused persons for which their custody is required,” sources said.
The NIA probe revealed that Coimbatore module had operated a Facebook page named ‘Khilafah GFX’ for IS propaganda. Khilafah GFX had several followers in India and Sri Lanka. Azarudeen was a Facebook friend of Sri Lanka attack mastermind Zaharan Hashim.