NIA files chargesheet against 4 with suspected IS links

CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed chargesheet against four men, including 'Needur' Sathik Batcha alias Sathik, and others in connection with their suspected ISIS links.

The suspects were arrested in connection with the threatening of police personnel at gunpoint in Mayiladuthurai earlier this year. Later, NIA took over the case suspecting global terror links.

During the investigation, sleuths found that Sathik Batcha, a martial arts trainer, and other accused - R Ashiq alias Mohammed Ashiq Elahi of Coimbatore, A Mohamed Irfan of Karaikal, Rahamathulla alias Rahamath of Chennai held conspiracy meetings in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and Chennai to recruit members for Khilafah Party of India and other outfits floated by them on the lines of ISIS, Al Qaeda and National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) of Sri Lanka, said NIA. Sathik Batcha reportedly owed his allegiance to an IS module and later became a member to establish the Islamic State.

After inquiring about them, NIA conducted searches in places linked to the accused in Chennai, Puducherry in June and seized electronic devices with incriminating documents apart from pamphlets with messages of Islamic State (IS). The charge sheet was filed against only four, as there was no sufficient material evidence against the fifth accused, Jabahar Ali.