NIA arrests Aligarh Muslim University student working as ISIS operative

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a 19-year-old student of Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for his alleged links with ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation.

The accused, Faizan Ansari alias Faiz, was arrested after searches at his house and rented accommodation in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as part of NIA’s crackdown against modules of ISIS operating in the country, said the NIA.

Faizan has been taken into custody in a case registered by the NIA on July 19 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency will be progressing with its investigations to unravel all the facets of the international conspiracy.

The searches at the house of the accused in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand and a rented room in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh were conducted on July 16 and 17 and several electronic devices and incriminating materials and documents were seized, said the anti-terror agency.

As per the NIA, Faizan had hatched a criminal conspiracy along with his associates and other unknown individuals through social media platforms to support ISIS activities in India and disseminate the outfit’s propaganda over various social media platforms.

“The conspiracy was aimed at carrying out violent terror attacks in India on behalf of ISIS,” the NIA said.

Investigations have revealed that Faizan and his associates had pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State, stated the agency, adding “The accused was also actively in the process of radicalizing neo-converts and attracting them to the terrorist fold for enriching the cadre base of the ISIS in India.”

Faizan was in contact with foreign-based ISIS handlers who were guiding him on recruitment to the banned outfit, said the NIA. “Along with other members of the ISIS, he was planning violent actions and was contemplating doing ‘hijrat’ to an ISIS conflict theatre abroad.”