Amidst Khalistan threat, ISIS module probe reaches Punjab

New Delhi, Jan 18: The National Investigation Agency has widened its probe into the Islamic State inspired module that it had busted recently. A teacher from a madrasa was picked up for questioning after investigations learnt that he was allegedly linked to the module.

Mohammad Owais had gone to Ludhiana from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh around a month back. He was working as a maulvi cum madrasa teacher at Madni Mosque on Rahon road. The NIA is also questioning three other suspects in connection with the case.

The NIA team raided the Mosque and picked up Owais. The agency has arrested 12 people in this connection since December 26 last year.

The fresh raids come five days after the National Investigation Agency or NIA arrested 24-year-old Muhammad Absar from Hapur on January 12.

The NIA said that searches were being conducted based on inputs from interrogation of the people arrested for allegedly being part of ''Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam'' module of global terror group ISIS.

The agency had earlier said it had seized a locally made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kg of explosive material - Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.

The group had allegedly purchased remote-controlled cars and wireless doorbells to use their circuits in assembling remote-controlled improvised explosive devices.

The NIA had also seized steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, ISIS-related literature during the searches conducted earlier.

The raids at Punjab come at a time when the Intelligence Bureau sounded a warning about the rise of Khalistan terrorism. Punjab has been on a high state of alert ever since pro Khalistan groups launched Referendum 2020 seeking to declare the state independent from India.