The NIA has been probing their disappearance and has now released sketches of all the accused. Sources in the agency said that they are now in Syria.
Unable to trace the missing group of 21 youths from Kerala who had joined the Islamic State (IS), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released sketches of those individuals hoping to get information about them. The sketches have also been released to try to find out their involvement with the Islamic State. The missing group had left Kerala in June last year to join the Islamic State. Of the 21, six are female, said an NIA officer.
The NIA has been probing their disappearance and has now released sketches of all the accused. Sources in the agency said that they are now in Syria.
According to NIA, 14 of the accused are under the age of 26, with the oldest in the list being Shajeer Managalassery from Kozhikode, who is 36.
Of the 21, 17 are from two nearby villages in Kasaragod — Padanna and Trikaripur. The other four are from Palakkad.
Initial investigations and information gathered by intelligence agencies revealed that most of them initially were in Afghanistan. It was also learnt that the group was motivated by a teacher named Abdul Rashid.
Last year after an order from the Ministry of Home Affairs, NIA decided to take over these cases of disappearance that were reported in two FIRs in two police stations. The two FIRs covered seven cases registered at Chandera police station in Kasargod and two cases registered at Palakkad town south station.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order directing NIA probe into the missing cases that were reported at the two police stations between May and July last year.
Young accused
According to NIA, 14 of the accused are under the age of 26, with the oldest in the list being Shajeer Managalassery from Kozhikode, who is 36.
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