Mother of Kerala woman who joined ISIS seeks govt help for her return

Nimisha aka Nimisha Fatima aka Fatima Isa and married an alleged IS operative from Kerala. They moved to Afghanistan in 2016. The Afghan security forces killed Fatima's husband and imprisoned her. Recently, the Taliban released hundreds of prisoners and Fatima was one among them

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Bindu Sampath, the mother of Nimisha Fatima, who was recently released from an Afghanistan prison by the Taliban but went missing thereafter, has sought the Indian government's help in tracing her. Fatima had married an alleged Islamic State (IS) operative from Kerala and shifted with him to Afghanistan. Her husband was killed by the Afghan security forces and she was imprisoned.

Bindu on Wednesday said she learnt from the media that her daughter Nimisha aka Nimisha Fatima aka Fatima Isa, was one among the hundreds of prisoners released by the Taliban after it captured Afghanistan recently. However, Bindu said, she has not heard from her daughter and that she fears the safety of her daughter and granddaughter (Fatima's daughter from the alleged IS operative).

While seeking the Centre's help, Bindu also said once Fatima and her daughter are brought back to India, Fatima be subjected to legal action as per the law of the land as she had married and supported an alleged IS operative, but requested the government that her granddaughter, Fatima's daughter, be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society. Bindu said the duo would not pose a threat to the security and sovereignty of the country.

Read:HC junks Fatima Isa mom's plea to repatriate daughter from Afghanistan to India

Bindu had on July 3 moved the Kerala High Court seeking repatriation of her daughter Fatima and Fatima's minor granddaughter to India. The bench headed by Justice K Vinod Chandran had dismissed this plea and directed Bindu to approach a single judge bench following which she withdrew her petition.

Nimisha was a Hindu before embracing Islam. She changed her name to Fatima and married an alleged IS operative. In June 2016, the couple was reported missing, along with 19 others from Kerala. They were then believed to have joined ISIS and moved to terrorist outfit-controlled territory in Afghanistan. Fatima had given birth to a daughter there in 2016.

Read:Fatima Isa's mom moves Kerala HC to repatriate daughter, grand daughter from Afghanistan

A Red Corner Notice has already been issued against Fatima, who is also wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Besides Fatima, three other IS widows of Indian origin are reported to have been lodged at a prison in Kabul. They surrendered to the Afghanistan government in 2019 after their husbands were killed in the fight.