NIA arrests Kerala resident for propagating ISIS ideology

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested a man, wanted for allegedly propagating the ideology of banned terror outfit ISIS, on his return from Qatar.

The investigative agency arrested the accused, Shaibu Nihar, a resident of Kozhikode from Calicut International Airport.

"The accused, Shaibu Nihar, had planned to travel to Syria to join the proscribed terrorist organization ISIS/Daish in December 2016 from Bahrain while running an advertising company there," the press statement said.

"During 2016-2017, he had facilitated travel of some of his associates to Syria with the intention of joining ISIS/Daish and waging war on its behalf against Syrian Government," it read.

The NIA arrested Nihar on the basis on by an accused in another case in which several people had allegedly left for Syria to join ISIS.

"The case was originally registered at Wandoor Police Station under relevant sections last year in November on the basis of disclosures made by accused Hamsa UK, who was arrested and examined in Valapattanam P.S. Crime No. 1010/2017 u/s 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act," the agency said.

"Disclosure made by Hamsa U.K. contains allegations against Shaibu Nihar (A-1) and other accused persons that while they were working in Bahrain and attending classes at Al Ansar Salafi Centre, where they had shared jihadi ideology and decided to join ISIS in Syria. Most of his associates had left Bahrain and joined ISIS in Syria," the statement said.

The investigative agency said that Shaibu Nihar had shifted took shelter in Qatar and continued his advertising company there also after the arrest of his associates last year.

Earlier in the day, Nihar was produced before the Special Court for NIA Cases at Ernakulam and was remanded to Judicial Custody up to April 22.