New Delhi: Taking ahead its investigation into the ISIS Kerala module case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted search operations in the house of one suspect involved in the case at Srinagar and Kashmir.
The NIA conducted the search operation in the house of Uzair Azhar Bhat, suspected to have been part of the conspiracy of running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop, and Instagram. NIA sleuths conducted a search at Bhat's house in Karfali Mohalla at Srinagar and seized digital devices and incriminating documents.
In 2021, the NIA has started the investigation into Mohammed Ameen alias Abu Yahya of Kerala who had been running various ISIS propaganda. "Through different social media channels, Ameen was propagating violent Jihadi ideologies of ISIS and was radicalizing and recruiting new members to this ISIS module," an NIA official said.
Ameen and his associates had even identified certain individuals for targeted killing. They had also made plans to undertake Hijrah to Jammu and Kashmir for engaging in terrorist acts and had raised funds from various sources for this trip, the official said. "During the probe it was found that Mohammad Ameen was in touch with Deepthi Marla of Kerala, a converted Muslim, married to Anas Abdul Rahiman of Mangalore," the official said.
In 2005, she had gone to Dubai to pursue studies where she met Mizha Siddeeque and both women developed an inclination toward ISIS. "In 2019, they tried to do Hijrah to Khorasan and reached Tehran, Iran. After reaching Tehran, their contract with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan could not be established and they returned to India," the NIA said.
The NIA investigation further said that Deepthi got in touch with Ameen, Obaid Hamid Matta, Madesh Shankar alias Abdullah and others and made plans to undertake Hijrah to ISIS-administered territory.
