At least five persons from Kalyan, Thane and Nerul in Navi Mumbai are being questioned by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) for their suspected role in motivating and providing logistical support to the four Kalyan youths in ostensibly joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and facilitating the recruitment of others in the insurgent’s fold.
This would otherwise mean that the sphere of investigation has for the first time extended to Navi Mumbai, a hitherto unknown place to come under the intelligence radar for the radicalisation programme for the ISIS.
A highly-placed source in the ATS told HT on Sunday that those who are being questioned, were picked up on the basis of local intel inputs that they had tacit ideological support for the overseas insurgent group. “Some of those presently questioned were, at different points of times, linked to the four youths before their mysterious disappearance. Their questioning has become crucial to find out if they had motivated (or facilitated the sending) of others too,” sources added.
The five also includes two from Kalyan who had been picked up on Thursday for questioning.
The ATS are also keeping a close watch on around 15 to 20 people from Kalyan city in connection with the incident. Earlier also they were questioned by the ATS. “All of them were questioned earlier too by the ATS officials and Kalyan police,” said sources from ATS.
{{/usCountry}}The ATS are also keeping a close watch on around 15 to 20 people from Kalyan city in connection with the incident. Earlier also they were questioned by the ATS. “All of them were questioned earlier too by the ATS officials and Kalyan police,” said sources from ATS.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, ATS and the local police claim that the website that came up soon after the death of Arif Ijaz Majeed, one of the four men who travelled to Iraq and calling him a martyr is not authentic.
Officials are investigating the website and of its owner as well. Police blocked the website on August 28.