NIA continues crackdown, 14 owing allegiance to ISIS arrested

NIA and central security agencies have arrested 14 people who were allegedly planning to carry out attacks ahead of Republic Day, as the crackdown continued for the second day today on a suspected terror group owing allegiance to banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

All the 14 were being produced in local courts in their respective states for a transit remand to the national capital where they would be questioned extensively by a team of NIA and central security agencies, Home Ministry spokesman said here.

Those arrested today included Rizwan Ali, self-styled Naib-Ameer (deputy chief) of 'Janood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind' (Army of Caliph in India), a terror group created with ideologies similar to that of ISIS.

The multi-city raids, which took place in six states, continued till the wee hours when Imran Mozzam Khan Pathan of Aurangabad in Maharashtra was arrested.

Rizwan, who is a resident of Khushi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was picked up from Hyderabad and brought to Mumbai enroute to Delhi for interrogation.

The NIA had registered a case in 2015 on the directions of the Centre after "credible information" was received that the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) also known as ISIS or Dawlah-al Islamiyah fil-Iraq wa-sh Sham, an international terrorist organisation, has been engaged in radicalisation of Indian youths and motivating them to join the terrorist organisation.

Due to this, "some Indian nationals have already joined it or are in the process of joining it for committing terrorist acts in the conflict zone of Iraq, Syria and Libya. The ISIL is also contemplating to expand its activities to other parts of the world including India," the NIA FIR said.

The arrests were made in connection with the ongoing investigation in this case following simultaneous searches and raids conducted at 12 locations in six cities--Bangalore, Tumkur, Mangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow yesterday with the support of local police forces.