Four men from Kerala, deported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their suspected relations with the Islamic State (IS), were on Tuesday detained by security agencies at the Thiruvananthapuram and Karipur airports.
A source said they were released after interrogation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the state intelligence.
The two detained in Thiruvananthapuram have been identified as Anas of Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram district and Aromal of Adoor in Pathanamthitta district, both born and brought up in Abu Dhabi.
The other two who arrived at Karipur airport are natives of Malappuram and Kozhikode. One of them is said to be a relative of Jabeer, who was similarly deported from UAE last week.
The source said the agencies could not find any evidence against the men and they had only shared and commented on IS-related posts on social media. However, investigation will continue.
The four were deported from Abu Dhabi after their visa was cancelled. They were among a group of over 10 Indians who were put under the scanner in the UAE for their alleged participation in IS propaganda on social media.
Additional director general of police (Intelligence) A Hemachandran ruled out any action against the youths as their activities in social media could not be construed as unlawful as per Indian law.
{{/usCountry}}Additional director general of police (Intelligence) A Hemachandran ruled out any action against the youths as their activities in social media could not be construed as unlawful as per Indian law.
{{/usCountry}}“UAE and other Gulf countries view them seriously as they have strict laws against social media activities,” he said.