AMU student in NIA custody for alleged links with ISIS

Police said the youth identified as Faizan Ansari alias Faiz was allegedly a member of the proscribed terrorist organisation

Continuing with its crackdown on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) modules operating in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday took into custody a 19-year-old student of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) following searches at his home in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district and rented accommodation in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, senior NIA officials said.

As per police, Faizan Ansari was planning violent actions along with other members of the ISIS. (For Representation)

The officials further said the youth identified as Faizan Ansari alias Faiz was allegedly a member of the proscribed terrorist organisation. As per them, he was in contact with foreign-based ISIS handlers who were guiding him on recruitments to the banned outfit.

He was planning violent actions along with other members of the ISIS and was contemplating doing ‘Hijrat’ (migration) to an ISIS conflict theatre abroad, the NIA officials said.

They further said searches were conducted at his home in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district and rented accommodation in Aligarh on Sunday (16 July) and Monday (July17) respectively during which several electronic devices and incriminating materials/documents were seized.

In a press note shared by the NIA, the officials said the accused had been taken into custody after registering a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) with the NIA’s Delhi unit on Wednesday (July 19).

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

They said the conspiracy was aimed at carrying out violent terror attacks in India on behalf of the ISIS. They added that the investigations had also revealed that Faizan and his associates had pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State. He was actively in the process of radicalising neo-converts and attracting them to the terrorist fold for enriching the cadre base of the ISIS in India, they said. As per the NIA officials, the agency will be progressing with its investigation to unravel all aspects of the international conspiracy.