BJP criticises Karnataka govt. transferring ISIS twitter investigating officer

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday criticised the Karnataka government for allegedly transferring the police officer who had investigated the pro-ISIS twitter account case, adding that such a move will be a diversion from the ongoing enquiry.

"The transfer of the investigating officer in the ISIS twitter account it will definitely be a diversion from the entire investigation. I urge the state government to not transfer any state officers who are presently working and investigating the case. The officers have to continue and impersonally investigate [the case]," Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar told the media.

Shettar further stated that the transfer of the officer involved at a crucial juncture in the case was dangerous to India's national integrity.

"It is dangerous to the national integrity. I urge the state government to not interfere in the investigation of such cases," he said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister K.J. George said that the state government was taking the case very seriously.

"We are taking a very serious action as the investigation is already going on. Even NIA and other agencies are also involved," he said.

Last month, the Bangalore Police arrested Mehdi Masroor Biswas for allegedly operating a pro- ISIS Twitter account.

An investigation by Britain's Channel 4 News had stated that the @ShamiWitness account, which reportedly had a massive 17,700 followers, was being run by an executive based in Bangalore.

The report also claimed that the executive was ready to join the Islamic State himself if his family had not been dependant on him.

As per reports, the social networking account had also tweeted US aid worker Peter Kassig's execution and other videos, moments after they first appeared on the internet.

A day before the police produced Mehdi before a local court, the city's Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar was transferred out of the police wing.

Nimbalkar was among the two IPS officers who had raided Mehdi's home.