Commander of ISIS Parbhani module is fourth arrest from Maharashtra

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday arrested a fourth accused in its ongoing nationwide crackdown against Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday arrested a fourth accused in its ongoing nationwide crackdown against Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) recruits from India. The accused, Raisuddin Siddique, 37, a teacher from Hingoli area in Maharashtra, was arrested for his alleged links to the Parbhani ISIS module.

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Police sources said Siddique was detained for questioning on Saturday, after they received information on his role in the conspiracy to carry out strikes at the Aurangabad police headquarters and at a senior IPS officer’s residence.

Siddique worked in an Urdu medium school at Hingoli where he taught English. ATS sources said Siddique came from a well-educated family in Parbhani; his brother is a doctor and his father a contractor.

Siddique, who was addressed as commander in the Parbhani module, used to chat online with the three other members.

ATS will now verify the details by inspecting the computers at the school where he teaches.

The ATS has previously arrested three other suspects from Parbhani – Naser Bin Yafai Chaus, a 31-year-old civil contractor, on July 14; Shahid Khan, 24, an ITI drop-out, on July 24; and Iqbal Ahmed Kabir Ahmed, 28, employee at a mobile shop, on August 7.

Chaus and Khan have told police, during their interrogation, that there are other people involved in the planning in the Parbhani module. Ahmed and Siddique were part of the plan from beginning, said ATS sources. The agency is also probing the role of other persons associated with the module.