KOCHI/AHMEDABAD/LUCKNOW/BHOPAL/BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday raided several locations in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra and detained at least 14 people over alleged ties to terrorist organisations, including Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
In West UP’s Deoband town, a madrassa student from Karnataka was arrested from a seminary. Farukh, the student, was allegedly in touch with a module of Pakistani intelligence ISI via a social media app.
The student was let off after eight hours of questioning.
Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada confirmed Farukh's detention.
According to the sources, Farukh is adept in many languages and was allegedly in touch with a module of the Pakistani intelligence unit ISI via a social media app.
Darul Uloom Deoband's chief Abdul Kasim Nomani said that in the evening, Farukh was handed over to the authorities of Darul Uloom Deoband.
On June 23, a Rohingya student, Mujibullah, was arrested from Deoband.
In Gujarat, a joint team of the NIA and Gujarat ATS carried out searches in Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, and Ahmedabad districts during which incriminating documents and material were seized. Sources said three suspects have been detained.
The searches were carried out in Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Ahmedabad districts, and incriminating documents/material were recovered during the action, the NIA said.
The Gujarat ATS said three persons were being questioned.
"But there is nothing more to disclose as of now," the ATS said in a statement.
Apart from Gujarat, searches are being conducted in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and some other states, the NIA said in its release.
The searches were carried out in a suo-motu case registered by the agency on June 25 under sections 153A and 153B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections 18, 18B, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, it said.
They are being questioned over alleged connection with an ISIS terror module. The ED confirmed that the raids were a follow-up to a terror module busted last year.
Incriminating documents and three bags were seized from the house of Maulana Jaleel, one of the persons detained. One suspect who hails from Ahmedabad was nabbed after raids in Navsari. In Amod of Bharuch, a father-son duo was being interrogated.
In Karnataka’s Tumakuru, a student of HMS Unani Medical College was picked up. Four more were detained in Karnataka. In Maharashtra’s Huppari district, two college students were detained.
(With PTI Inputs)
In Kerala
The NIA on Sunday conducted searches in Kerala over a case pertaining to the arrest of Sathik Batcha alias ‘ICAMA Sathik’, who had attempted to kill police personnel during a vehicle check in February.