The NIA has arrested a law student from Kerala’s Tirunelveli on suspicion of his alleged links with Islamic State. The arrest comes close on the heels of nabbing of six persons from the state over their links with ISIS.
According to reports, all seven had allegedly planned to drive an explosive-laden vehicle into a gathering of religious leaders in Kerala after they were inspired by a similar attack in the French city of Nice.
“We have taken note of the revelations made by the suspects, and have taken appropriate action,” Loknath Behera, Director General of Kerala Police, said, adding that the state police has strengthened its vigil in the backdrop of the arrests.
The seven people, aged between 24 and 35, were allegedly radicalised by the ideology of the terror outfit ISIS, which has asked its followers across the world to carry out attacks on people they consider infidels.
The seven, reports said, had also drawn up a hit-list that included two High Court judges, a well-known rationalist and RSS leaders of Kerala besides Jewish visitors to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu.
The recently arrested 31-year-old had fled Kerala after the NIA arrested some of his associates there, police said. Earlier on Sunday, the top anti-terror body had arrested six persons from the state for allegedly plotting terror attacks in the country.
All seven were arrested during the agency’s ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 21 people from the state, who are believed to have joined the Islamic State in Afghanistan and later moved to Syria and other countries.
NIA teams along with Kerala Police, Delhi Police and Telangana Police had launched surveillance on the movements of the accused involved in the conspiracy and during searches, the six were arrested from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Five of them were arrested while they were conducting a meeting at Kanakamala hilltop in Kannur and another person was arrested from Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode.
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have alerted the Kerala government about threat from ISIS-linked module to two High Court judges and some top politicians. The alert was issued soon after the arrest of seven ISIS suspects and their subsequent interrogation.
A report in this regard has been submitted by ADGP Intelligence to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio, police sources said. The sources, however, declined to divulge further details.
