COIMBATORE: A 25-year-old youth, who was arrested along with his associates by Coimbatore city police and later interrogated by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2018 for allegedly plotting the murder of religious leaders, has accused the NIA of attempting to connect him and his friends with a terror group and the recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka.
Manick (name changed) of Coimbatore was one of the seven youth arrested on the charge of plotting murder of Hindu outfit leaders. They were released on bail two months ago. Soon after the blasts in Sri Lanka, the NIA conducted an investigation after it reportedly got word about the youth communicating with National Thowheed Jama’at – a terror organisation, suspected to have been involved in the blasts. But Manick denied all claims and maintained that the NIA was out to frame them and portray them as terrorists.
Claiming that the murder plot case was false, Manick said he was not a sympathiser of the IS and had no communication with any terror group on social media.“I gave me Facebook details to the NIA for investigation earlier. How could I have used it beyond their surveillance? The NIA has not held any inquiry about the Sri Lankan blasts before or after the incident. If they inquire in future, I will cooperate.”