An IIT-Guwahati student was detained by police on Saturday after he allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The fourth-year student had claimed on a social media platform and emails that he intended to join the terror outfit and went missing from the IIT-Guwahati campus.
He was later traced from Hajo in Assam’s Kamrup district.
The student was nabbed four days after ISIS India head Haris Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi and his associate Anurag Singh alias Rehan were arrested in Dhubri district after they had crossed over from Bangladesh, reported news agency PTI.
“Reference IIT Guwahati student pleading allegiance to ISIS – the said student has been detained while travelling and further lawful follow up would take place,” Director-General of Police GP Singh posted on X.
“After receiving an email, we went to verify the authenticity of the contents and started an investigation,” a senior police official said.
He added that the email was sent by a student, in which he claimed that he was on the way to join ISIS. Subsequently, IIT-Guwahati authorities were immediately contacted, who informed that the said student had been “missing’ since noon and his mobile phone was also switched off.
A search was started to locate him, and he was nabbed from the Hajo area, around 30 km from Guwahati, in the evening with the help of locals, the senior police official said.
“After initial questioning, he was brought to the STF office. We are verifying the motive of the email,” he added.
A black flag, “purportedly similar to that of ISIS”, and an Islamic manuscript were found in the hostel room of the student who hailed from Okhla in Delhi, Assam’s Special Task Force (STF) said.
“We are going through the items seized, it is early to say much. We are investigating the intention of sending the email. The student has given some details, but we cannot disclose anything further now,” senior police official said.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
