Custodial interrogation of the arrested ISIS operative Shahjahan Velluva Kandy revealed that he was a former member of the proscribed NDF, an outfit in Kerala whose objective was to focus on socio-economical issues of minorities, with special emphasis on Kerala Muslims. NDF had also announced a plan to aggressively propagate Islam.
Delhi Police on Wednesday said it had also arrested the person who had made the fake passport for Shahjahan, but refused to name him.
Police said the accused was in the jute manufacturing business. Delhi Police teams had been tracking his activities for the last one year.
Investigation also revealed that Shahjahan was accused of destroying CPM flag masts in Kannur. Shahjahan, who used to live with his mother and two brothers in Koddali Village in Kannur, shifted to Chennai in 2011 after getting married.
“Shahjahan had gone to Turkey with his wife last year in June and was deported this February along with her, after which he disappeared. It was during this time that he became even more radicalized. In March again, he went to Turkey and tried to go to Syria but he was again deported in July after which he was arrested,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Singh Kushwaha.
Shahjahan was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on July 1 this year after he was deported by Turkey for the second time.
During interrogation Shahjahan told police that he attempted to go to Syria to join the ISIS. He also disclosed that he had links with some of the ISIS terrorists who were arrested in Kerala in October last year. Also, police came to know that Shahjahan was in touch with several ISIS sympathisers in India and Syria through the Telegram Application as hundreds of Telegram IDs of ISIS sympathisers were found on his mobile.