KOCHI: Palakkad resident Riyas Aboobacker, who was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi in the Kasaragod ISIS case, researched various bomb-making techniques on YouTube while plotting a suicide attack in Kerala. This was stated in the NIA court judgement finding him guilty of terrorist activities.
One of the key pieces of evidence produced by NIA during the trial was the online activities of Riyas. His YouTube searches were: 1) How to make a Coca-Cola colour smoke bomb; 2) Islamic State’s chlorine gas bombs; 3) How to make a gas bomb, 4) Inside the mind of a suicide bomber; and 5) How to make a car bomb.
These searches were made on December 3, 2018. Other searches made by Riyas related to the case were about Islamic preacher Anwar Al-Awalaki, images of Bagdadi, Hizbul Mujahideen, Palakkad resident Shibi who joined ISIS, and of Indian Mujahideen. Riyas chatted with Keralites who joined ISIS in Afghanistan, and they motivated him to plot the suicide attack, the investigation revealed.
The NIA also presented voice clips of ISIS, ISIS-related Malayalam news, speeches of Zakir Naik and a speech made by M M Akbar on ISIS. Riyas also chatted on ISIS Telegram groups named Gold Dinar, Al Muhajiroun and Greenbird.
On October 26, 2018, Riyas met with two persons Muhammad Faizal and Abubacker Siddique -- who were accused in the case but later turned approvers -- at Lulu Mall and Marine Drive in Kochi. There, Riyas expressed his interest in the concept of Amal-Istishhadi (divine martyrdom) and in carrying out a suicide attack. However, after the meeting, the two others lost interest in ISIS as they only wanted to perform a hijra to ISIS territory, the central agency noted.