Police to investigate if IRF sent money to missing Kerala youth

MUMBAI: The Mumbai crime branch is investigating if controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) sent money to any of the 21 youths from

MUMBAI: The Mumbai crime branch is investigating if controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) sent money to any of the 21 youths from Kerala who are feared to have joined terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

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A team of the crime branch will soon leave for Kasaragod district in Kerala to gather information on where Haneef, a maulana, one of the accused in the case, allegedly radicalised the 21 youths. While Haneef ’s location is not known yet, officials suspect he is in hiding in Kerala. Officials said Ashfaque, son of the complainant, Abdul Majeed Kadar Khan, was in touch with IRF’s guest representative officer Arshid Qureshi for past two years.While Kadar Khan has claimed that Qureshi and Kalyan resident Rizwan Khan, who was linked to the IRF, radicalised Ashfaque and the other 21 youths, officials said that they wanted to ascertain how did Ashfaque arranged funds.

Ashfaque, who is from Kasaragod, along with Abdul Rashid Abdulla, a teacher (also named in the FIR), went missing with other youths in Kerala a month ago. They left with the group to join ISIS, officials said.

“We will get clarity after we get Qureshi and Khan’s custody from the Kerala police. Haneef is to be traced and we are taking help of the Kerala police. Their interrogation will help reveal IRF’s role,” said a crime branch officer.