NIA arrests man for propagating ISIS ideology

A man, who was wanted for propagating the ideology of banned terror-group ISIS, was arrested Tuesday by the NIA on his return from Qatar.

Shaibu Nihar (39), a resident of Kozhikode in Kerala, was arrested from the Calicut international airport on his arrival from Doha, Qatar, a statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

"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 probe agency said.

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

Following the arrest of some of his associates in October 2017, Nihar shifted from Bahrain and took shelter in Qatar, and continued his advertising company, the statement said.

The NIA had taken the investigation in the case on the basis of a case registered at Wandoor police station in Kerala in November 2017.

The case was registered on the basis of disclosures made by another accused Hamsa U K. Hamsa was arrested and examined in a similar case being probed by the NIA.

"Disclosure made by Hamsa U K contains allegations against Shaibu Nihar and other accused persons that while they were working in Bahrain and attending classes at Al Ansar Salafi Centre, there they had shared jihadi ideology and decided to join the ISIS in Syria.

"Most of his associates had left Bahrain and joined the ISIS in Syria," the NIA said.

Nihar was produced before a special NIA court at Ernakulam and was remanded to judicial custody up to April 22, it said.