Kumbh Mela terror plot: Arrested youth's Facebook post on Babri demolition led to contact by ISIS

Akhlaq-ur-Rehman, the youth who was arrested with three others for their alleged plans to carry out attacks during the famous Ardh Kumbh mela, was approached by the Islamic State after he posted his opinions about the Facebook Babri Masjid demolition, reports a leading English daily. He was a college student in a polytechnic in Roorkee at that time.

A day after he posted on Facebook, he got a message in his inbox from a Yousufal-Hindi who claimed to be an Islamic preacher. Yousuf called Akhlaq a 'daring intellectual' and invited him to a chat to 'channelise' his anger in the 'right direction'.

Akhlaq had begun to global issues with Yousuf. "He was always patient with me and heard me out for as long as I wanted. We spoke about growing atrocities on Muslims and he asked me what a probable solution could be," a source quoted Akhlaq as saying.

In a few months, he was sure that fighting injustice was the only wat to solve all issues. he was even given odd jobs to test his potential and a series of online exams on theological and practical issues. 

He was later asked to fight for Islam and Islamic State in Syria to which an overjoyed Akhlaq immediately agreed. He was also asked to get like-minded friends who were willing to die for jihad and Islam. 

As per the investigators, Akhlaq's friends were indoctrinated the similar way. Yousuf also spent later half of 2015 convincing the four youths tha issues such as beef ban was part of an organised plan by Hindu extremists to target Islam and Muslims.