NIA Arrests 19-Year-Old AMU Student For ‘Link’ With ISIS

India

oi-PTI

A
19-year-old
student
of
the
Aligarh
Muslim
University
(AMU)
has
been
arrested
by
the
NIA
for
allegedly
being
a
member
of
global
terrorist
group
ISIS
after
searches
at
his
house
in
Jharkhand
and
rented
accommodation
in
Uttar
Pradesh,
an
official
said
on
Thursday.

The
arrest
of
Faizan
Ansari
alias
‘Faiz’ followed
an
ongoing
crackdown
against
ISIS
modules
operating
in
the
country
after
registration
of
a
case
to
thwart
any
terror
attack,
a
spokesperson
of
the
federal
anti-terror
agency
said.

The
official
of
the
National
Investigation
Agency
said
the
searches
at
Ansari’s
house
in
Lohardaga
district
of
Jharkhand
and
rented
room
in
Aligarh,
UP
were
conducted
on
July
16
and
17
and
several
electronic
devices
and
incriminating
material
and
documents
were
seized.

“Ansari
had
hatched
a
criminal
conspiracy,
along
with
his
associates
and
other
unknown
individuals,
through
social
media
platforms
to
support
ISIS
activities
in
India
and
disseminate
the
outfit’s
propaganda
over
various
social
media
platforms.
The
conspiracy
was
aimed
at
carrying
out
violent
terror
attacks
in
India
on
behalf
of
ISIS,” the
spokesperson
said.

The
official
said
the
investigations
have
revealed
that
Ansari
and
his
associates
had
pledged
their
allegiance
to
the
ISIS,
also
known
as
Islamic
State.

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“Ansari
was
also
active
in
the
process
of
radicalizing
neo-converts
and
attracting
them
to
the
terrorist
fold
for
enriching
the
cadre
base
of
ISIS
in
India.
He
was
in
contact
with
foreign
based
ISIS
handlers,
who
were
guiding
him
on
recruitments
to
the
banned
outfit.

“Along
with
other
members
of
ISIS,
he
was
planning
violent
actions
and
was
contemplating
doing
‘Hijrat’
(migration)
to
a
ISIS
conflict
theatre
abroad,”
the
spokesperson
said.

The
case
was
registered
by
the
NIA
on
July
19
under
relevant
sections
of
Indian
Penal
Code
and
Unlawful
Activities
(Prevention)
Act,
the
official
said,
adding
the
agency
will
be
progressing
with
its
investigations
to
unravel
all
the
facets
of
the
international
conspiracy.