The radicalisation of Tamil Nadu and what is keeping the NIA busy there
Chennai, Sep 23: The National Investigation Agency continues to probe issues relating to radicalisation in Tamil Nadu in a case that is popularly now known as the Tamil Nadu Ansarullah case.
On Saturday raids were conducted in Chennai and a couple of months back searches were carried out in Coimbatore in connection with the same case.
It began with the arrest of 14 persons in July and the NIA had said back then that they were highly radicalised and owed allegiance to proscribed terrorist organisations ISIS/ Daish, Al Qaida and SIMI, while being within and beyond India.
Tamil Nadu Ansarullah, a conspiracy to wage war against India and declare Islamic rule
The NIA said that these persons were highly radicalised and were planning major strikes in the state.
They were propagating the ideology of the Islamic State.
The radicalisation problem in Tamil Nadu is not new. The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise.
The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group.
Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised.
During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youths.
Further, the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green.
The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise.
The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group.
Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised.
During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youth. Further the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green.
On Saturday, the NIA searched the residence of one M Diwan Mujipeer, a resident of Pallivasal North Street, Vellanguli, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu based on the warrant issued by the court.
The
case
was
registered
after
it
had
been
found
that
several
persons
had
conspired
and
prepared
to
wage
a
war
against
India
by
forming
the
terrorist
gang
Ansarulla.
The
accused
persons
and
their
associates
had
also
collected
funds
as
part
of
preparations
to
carry
out
terrorist
attacks
in
India,
with
the
intention
of
establishing
Islamic
rule
in
India.
During investigation it was revealed that Diwan Mujipeer was also associated with the activities of Ansarulla. During search at his house, 3 mobiles, 4 SIM cards and 1 memory card besides a no of incriminating documents have been seized by NIA. The seized materials would be submitted to the Special Court and subjected to forensic examination.
The action comes two weeks after raids were conducted at five locations in Coimbatore city, Tamil Nadu in connection with an Islamic State-related case.
A case was registered by NIA against six accused persons from Coimbatore City, based on the information that these individuals and their associates were propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/ Daish on social media with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth into this outfit and carrying out terrorist attacks in South India especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
It was also learnt that some of the accused persons and their associates were in touch with the Sri Lankan ISIS/ Daish leader Zahran Hashim and his accomplices, over social media, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS/ Daish in India.
The Agency had earlier conducted searches at the houses of six accused persons in this case, on June 12 and based on the incriminating facts revealed, two accused persons, Mohammed Azarudheen and Shiek Hidayathulla were arrested.
Now, during searches today at the houses of five associates of the accused persons, digital devices including 1 laptop, 5 mobile phones, 4 SIM cards, 1 memory card, and 8 CDs/ DVDs a large number of incriminating documents have been seized.