Suspected ISIS operative remanded to 10-day police custody

Mohsin Ibrahim Sayyed was arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out a terror strike during the Ardh Kumbh Mela

Suspected ISIS operative Mohsin Ibrahim Sayyed, arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out a terror strike during the Ardh Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, was today remanded to police custody till February 20 by a Delhi court.

Sayyed was produced before the court after expiry of his police remand and the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought extension of his custodial interrogation, saying he was needed to be taken to Muzaffarnagar, Agra and Lucknow for the purpose of investigation in the case.

The police claimed that 26-year-old Mohsin, a resident of Mumbai, had come in contact with Syria-based ISIS terrorist, Yusuf Al Hindi, and had left his house in December last year to join the terror group.

It alleged that on the instructions of Yusuf, Mohsin had delivered money to the four co-accused who are arrested in this case for carrying out the terror strike.

"After he (Mohsin) left his house, he visited several states in India on the instructions of Yusuf. Accused has to be taken to Muzaffarnagar, Agra and Lucknow for the purpose of investigation. Data from Facebook and other accounts is still to be recovered at the instance of accused," the police said in its remand application.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh allowed the plea and extended the police custody of Mohsin by another 10 days.

Besides Mohsin, four other co-accused -- Akhlakur Rehman, Mohd Osama, Mohd Azeemushan and Mohd Mehraz -- were also produced before the court and they were remanded to judicial custody.

While seeking extension of Mohsin's police remand, special cell claimed that during the interrogation, he has revealed that he came in contact with Yusuf through one of his friends who had left for Afghanistan to join ISIS.

The police alleged that the four arrested co-accused had said during the interrogation that they had come in contact with Yusuf through Facebook and other chat platforms and he had motivated them for propagating violent 'Jihad' in India.

"Yusuf tasked them to cause blast in a train going to Haridwar or during Ardh Kumbh Fair being held in Haridwar. For the purpose of causing blast these accused have collected explosive materials, received money to procure explosive materials, purchased SIM cards and mobiles and conducted reccee in Haridwar," it claimed.

The police had earlier alleged that these accused were conspiring to target the Ardh Kumbh Mela, especially trains headed there, along with some other strategic locations in the national capital.

All of them were found to have links with a former Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist who later went to fight for ISIS, the police had claimed.