3 from Kovai appear before NIA in Kochi

On October 1, the NIA arrested six youth for their alleged links with an IS inspired module in Kannur in Kerala. The arrested included Abu Basheer alias Rashid alias Buccha alias Dalpati alias Ameer (29) from GM Nagar area in South Ukkadam.

The sleuths, along with the city police, also conducted a raid in that locality the next day and picked a few persons for interrogation. Over the last 11 days, NIA had questioned 15 persons from GM Nagar. They were quizzed on based on their contacts with Abu Basheer through social media. The officials also wanted to know he tried to rope the Coimbatore suspects into IS. However, no one was arrested.

Against this backdrop, the NIA asked the three persons, who were previously taken for questioning in the city, to appear before top officials of the premier investigation agency in Kochi for further inquiry. Senior police officials in the city and leaders of Islamic organisations and also political parties who came to the police commissioner’s office here on Wednesday, said that the three had applied for passports to countries like Syria and Turkey where IS is very active. 

“It is learnt that the officials would seek to know the real purpose for their applying for passport to travel to those countries,” city president of Popular Front of India (PFI) Shahul Hameed, who came to meet the NIA personnel with representatives of various political parties and organisations, said. He also added that the NIA officers assured that the trio would not be arrested.