It's because Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a threat to India that security agencies are questioning Arif Majeed. They want to gather more information about other Indians involved with the group in Iraq. This could help Indian security agencies to understand ISIS's plan for India, sources said.
“There were reports that men from Hyderabad and West Bengal had been planning to join ISIS. However, security agencies thwarted those plans. As Majeed had spent time in Iraq and worked for the outfit, he would have come into contact with other ISIS members. We would like to know whether any of them were Indians. If yes, then who they are,” said an officer in the security establishment.
Both Al-Qaeda chief Aiyman Al-Zawahiri and ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi have said their targets included India. “It would be important to know how youths from India get indoctrinated and join ISIS. So far, from what we know, indoctrination through online has played a key role in motivating youngsters to join ISIS,” said the officer.
Security agencies have also questioned Majeed about the three other youths from Kalyan—Fahad Shaikh, Sahim Tanki and Aman Tandel. The three are likely to return to India in a few days, highly placed police sources told dna.
After the four from Kalyan went missing in May, Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria had instructed all police stations to trace missing children within their jurisdiction, especially those in the vulnerable age group, who could become attracted to terror outfits.
Police stations were also instructed to get mobile call data records of these children and trace them through their email address or social media profile. Check whether they have any links with terror elements, cops were told. DNA had reported this in July.
Though there were reports that 25 youths from Mumbai and neighbouring cities, who had gone missing, had joined ISIS, police rubbished these reports. ATS had questioned several people from Kalyan, Thane and Navi Mumbai for their suspected role in motivating and providing logistical support to the four who had gone to Iraq, and facilitating recruitment of others.
The principal of a technical institute in Panvel was questioned earlier this month after he was suspected to have brainwashed a group of four from Kalyan.
During the investigation, the agency had discovered that two Afghan nationals—Rehman Daulati and Ahmed Rateb Husseinzade—had been indoctrinating youngsters from Kalyan. The two had flouted the Foreigner's Act, Registration of Foreigner's Act and Registration of Foreigner's Rule, the police said. Further probe had revealed that one Aadil Dolare, a fruit seller, was the person mainly involved in brainwashing men from Kalyan.
In the last week of September, an FIR was registered at Bazarpeth police station in Kalyan against Dolare, the two Afghan nationals and one Govind Thappa, the manager of a hotel in Kalyan. Thappa had allowed the foreigners to check into the hotel, but had not informed the police as per norms, police added.
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