Batla House fugitive: Congress demands ISIS video verification

With reports claiming that one of the Jihadis featuring in the latest ISIS video is in fact a suspected Indian Mujaheedin (IM) member who had escaped minutes before the raid on Batla House in 2008, the Congress Party on Tuesday said the authenticity of the footage must first be verified before drawing any conclusions.

According to the reports, Mohammed Sajid alias Bada Sajid is one of the five persons who feature in the 22-minute video allegedly posted by the Islamic State recently. He has allegedly claimed in the video that he was at Batla House when the police had raided the premises but fled afterwards.

"The video's authenticity should be verified. There are a lot of videos making rounds claiming to be from the IS. It should be probed who he was and how he escaped. It needs to be ascertained if he actually had any link with Batla house encounter," Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI.

It is believed that Sajid, who belonged to the Azamgarh module of the IM, had escaped to Nepal en-route Dubai.

"If he is found to be involved then it should be looked into. It is good that NIA is first verifying the authenticity of the video," Dikshit added.

The ISIS operatives in the video also urge the Muslims in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan region to join their movement to establish an Islamic caliphate.

According to a leading national daily, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh is the only individual conclusively identified in the video.

Reports state that several still-to-be-identified members in the video could be former members of the Indian Mujahideen.

The video also claims that 'cow-worshipping' Hindus are responsible for violence against Muslims in many places, including Mumbai, Gujarat, Assam and Moradabad.

One of the Jihadis, speaking in English, also gave a stern warning to India and said either accept Islam, pay Jiziya (a medieval tax for non-believers of Islam) or be prepared to be slaughtered.

The Jihadis have also launched a tirade against the Indian Muslims for maintaining trade and social relations with the 'infidels'. They have has also criticised the Muslim politicians and clerics for compromising with a purported tyrannical system responsible for massacring Muslims.