NIA nabs IS 'facilitator' from Bengal

A 19-year-old engineering student hailing from West Bengal was arrested by the NIA in Delhi for acting as a facilitator for the Islamic State (IS) terror group, an official said on Thursday.

"Ashik Ahammed alias Raja, a resident of Dhaniakhali, in Hooghly district was arrested in Delhi in a case relating to terrorist conspiracy. He was engaged as a facilitator to some of the key members of the IS-affiliated terror module, who wanted to recruit and radicalise youths in West Bengal," said an officer of the National Investigation Agency.

Ahammed, who is pursuing a diploma course in mechanical engineering from a private college in Durgapur of Burdwan district, was in February detained by the NIA and interrogated at length.

The NIA in January busted a terror module, arresting several people from cities across the country "who were in the process of organising themselves to commit terrorist acts". During the interrogation of the accused Ahammed's name cropped up.

Ahammed was presented before the NIA Special Court in Delhi on the day which sent him to police custody for five days.