Youth with suspected IS links arrested in Salem

Coming in contact with the Islamic State men who first identified themselves as security forces in Iraq, the youth was prepared to move to Kashmir after refusing to join them in Iraq.

A 24-year-old youth in Salem, who was interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Q branch for more than 10 hours, was arrested late on Saturday night, for alleged links with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).

On Saturday, the IB and Q branch police came to Fort, a densely populated area in Salem City, and nabbed A. Ashik (24) of A. Pallipatti in Dharmapuri district. The IB took him to an undisclosed location in the district and interrogated him for more than 10 hours. After completion of the inquiry, the IB and Q branch handed him over to Salem Town police on Saturday night.

The town police registered a case under Sections 121 (waging, attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 122 (collecting arms, etc., with the intention of waging war against the Government of India), 125 (waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with the Government of India) of the India Penal Code (IPC), and Under Sections 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 18 (A) (punishment for organising terrorist camps, 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. On Saturday midnight, the accused Ashik was produced before the Court and remanded in Salem Central Prison. 

Senior police officers said the accused was working in a silver anklet unit owned by his distant relative in Salem and a month ago he rented a house at Fort and shifted from Dharmapuri. Police claimed he was in contact with IS operatives in Iraq for the past one year through a mobile application.

At first, the terrorists had introduced themselves as security forces in Iraq, but later they revealed they were from IS, police added. They asked the accused to come to Iraq to join them but he refused. They then asked him to come to Kashmir, and the accused allegedly accepted the offer and prepared to move to Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which monitored the calls and chats, informed the IB, police officers added.

“The accused answered casually to all the questions,” a police officer said. He dropped out of class IX, but he could communicate and write fluently in English and Urdu. He got married a couple of years ago but his wife separated from him within a few days after the marriage, the police stated.