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Kheri man held in Gujarat for terror links had gone there for ‘vacation’
Mohammad Suhail, 23, was arrested in Gujarat for alleged ties to ISIS, shocking his family in Lakhimpur Kheri, who deny the charges against him.
Lakhimpur Kheri The arrest of Lakhimpur Kheri’s Mohammad Suhail from Banaskantha district of Gujarat on Sunday for his alleged involvement in terrorist activities came as a bolt from the blue for his family in Singahi town of the district.
Father Salim (50), a tractor mechanic by profession, mother Rukhsana (48), a housewife, brother Vasim (17), and his younger sister live together in their Singahi house. Suhail’s elder brother Summi Khan is reportedly working in Tamil Nadu. Two other sisters are married and live elsewhere with their families.
The family said they had sent Suhail (23) to Muzaffarnagar to pursue his ‘Hafiz’ studies three years ago so that he could become a religious preacher. “We came to know of his arrest when we tried to contact him on his mobile phone. The person on the other end inquired about our credentials and told us that Suhail had been arrested,” his younger sister said.
“Till a few days ago, Suhail was in Muzaffarnagar. He had told us about his vacation trip to Gujarat over the phone,” she said. She, however, ignored a question on why Suhail opted to go to Gujarat instead of visiting his family in Singahi on his holidays.
The family members said Suhail last came home for Bakrid in June, and returned to his madrasa in Muzaffarnagar a fortnight later.
Rukhsana said she was having a hard time believing that her son had links with any terrorist group. “All charges against my son are false as he never indulged in any such activities,” she said.
She said her son was framed. “Never before did anyone in Singah or from the madrasa complain against him to us.”
Along with Suhail, one Azad Suleman Sheikh, 20, from Kairana in Shamli and Ahmed Mohiyuddin Sayed, 35, from Hyderabad were arrested for their suspected links with the terror group ISIS and allegedly planning attacks in several parts of the country.
On Monday, the family members confined themselves to their house and refused to speak to anyone about the issue.
In the meantime, local police visited Suhail’s house in Singahi town and made a preliminary inquiry.
Reliable police sources said that neither Suhail nor any of his family members had any criminal antecedents in Kheri district.
