TIRUPATHUR: After several hours of questioning by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), a Muslim student from Tamil Nadu’s Ambur was arrested for having alleged online ties with ISIS.
He was identified as Meer Anaas Ali (22), a resident of Masudi Street, Neelikollai in Ambur Town. He is a third-year student studying Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at a private college in Melvisharam, Ranipet.
Police said Anaas came into the radar of the intelligence bureau after some of his online activities raised suspicion.
The IB --- the domestic internal security and counter-intelligence agency --- picked him up for interrogation from his house at 4 am on Saturday.
He was brought to the Anaicut police station in Vellore, about 35 kilometres from his town. The interrogation began in the morning and went on for several hours.
According to the police, Anaas had links with the ISIS (banned terrorist organization in India) and he was communicating with the organization using social media platforms such as Telegram and Instagram from his mobile phone.
He conspired with the organization to carry out terrorist attacks to instill fear among non-Muslims and to kill an important personality, the police sources said.
Based on the investigation, the police filed an FIR and arrested him under IPC sections 121 (waging war, or attempting to wage war, or abetting the waging of war against the Government of India), 122 (collecting arms, etc. with intention of waging war against the Government of India), 125 (waging war or abetting the waging of war against any Asiatic power in alliance or at peace with the Government of India), and various sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Around midnight on Saturday, he was escorted to the Vellore Central Prison where he was remanded in judicial custody.