Thiruvananthapuram: Sister of a National Security Guard (NSG) commander is suspected to be among the 20 people who have disappeared mysteriously from Kerala’s Kasaragod and Palakkad districts and are feared to have joined the Islamic State terror outfit.
According to a Hindustan Times report, Nimisha, a student of dentistry and sister of a NSG commander, could be among the 20 people who had gone missing from Kerala’s two districts and are now suspected to have joined the Islamic State.
The disappearance of the youths, some of whom are medical and engineering students, came in light after their family members brought the matter before the authorities.
“We fear the worst. All 20 are off the radar for more than a month. Out of four messages the relatives have received, one is from Afghanistan and another from Egypt. The other two we couldn’t decode. We will be able to track their passport and visa entries by Monday. We think they are in a trouble-torn area now,” a senior intelligence officer was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Bindu, mother of Nimisha, told that Nimisha was a final year dentistry student when she got married to a Christian man in Novermber 2015. The couple later converted to Islam.
Bindu said that she does not to embarrass her son with the latest developments and pleaded not to publish any details about him.
“My children were religious and patriotic. My son wanted to be a military officer and daughter chose the medical profession. We were happy when both got the careers of their choice,” she said.
“Mom’s sweet daughter going to bed, sweet kisses,” was the last message sent by Nimisha to her parents on June 3. The next day, when her mother called her back, Nimisha’s phone was switched off.
Bindu then contacted her daughter’s in-laws who told that the couple had told them that they were going to Sri Lanka for pilgrimage.
Bindu told that her daughter was a bright student and had got admission into a dental college in Kasargod district when she was 19 years old.
“During the four years of her college, we never had an inkling of any change till last November when she refused to take my calls. I rushed to the college, only to be told that she had married a Muslim youth hailing from Palakkad,” said Bindu.
She later came to know that her daughter had married 30-year-old Bexin Vincent, a Christian MBA graduate who took the name Eza after converting to Islam.
Upset with the news, Bindu asked a senior police officer for help who advised her to move a habeas corpus petition in the high court.
Nimisha was produced in the court in November last year. However, the court let her go with her husband as she had completed 18 years of age.
Later, when Bindu came to know that Nimisha was pregnant, she somehow managed to re-establish contact with her daughter. May 16 was the last time when Nimisha visited her home.
Bindu made a shocking revelation that during her last two visits, Nimisha had developed a dislike towards TV programmes.
“Once when I said being pregnant she should be consulting doctors regularly, she said she had once and did not believe in modern medicines any longer,” said Bindu.
Bindu met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, seeking his help to trace her missing daughter. Five other families in Kasargod have also filed complaints about missing members and have sought investigation.
"It cannot be said that all missing persons have joined ISIS," said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, also the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly. "What I came to know is that the state and Centre agencies have started an investigation on the matter," he added.
