Hyderabad police arrest man on suspicion of being an Islamic State sympathiser

A 22-year-old was arrested from his Hyderabad house. Police found a phone with evidence of conversations with fellow Islamic State sympathisers.

Hyderabad police on Friday arrested a suspected Islamic State (IS) sympathiser, who was allegedly planning to carry out subversive activities in the country.

Iraqi soldiers pose with the Islamic State flag along a street of the town of al-Shura, which was recaptured from Islamic State (IS), south of Mosul, Iraq October 30, 2016. (Reuters File Photo)

Twenty two-year-old Konakalla Subrahmanyam alias Omar was arrested from his room on Friday morning after a special investigation team (SIT) received information about him.

According to D Hari Kumar Yadav, assistant commissioner of police, SIT, Subrahmanyam embraced Islam in 2014, and changed his name to Omar.

He later moved to Gujarat where he trained in religious rituals and scriptures. He subsequently visited Srinagar, Oomrabad, Ambur of Tamil Nadu, and Mumbai.

“He has been chatting with ISIS sympathizers through social media network like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram. He got in touch with Abu Qahafa Al-Hindi of Mumbai who is ISIS sympathizer and had been in regular conversation with him. Omar wanted to carry out subversive activities in the country with the instigation of Abu Qahafa Al-Hindi,” a police official said.

Subrahmanyam, son of K Venkata Narasimha Rao, hails from Challapalli mandal in Andhra’s Krishna district. In Hyderabad, he was living in a room at Bharatnagar in Tolichowki area.

Police seized a mobile phone which contained incriminating conversation with ISIS sympathisers. A case was registered against Omar under Section 120(B), 121A, 124 A IPC and Sections 10 and 13 ULAP Act, 1967.

“The accused is being remanded to judicial custody,” Yadav said.