NEW DELHI: The NIA has arrested an ISIS sympathiser, who was recently deported from Saudi Arabia, in connection with its probe into activities of the West Asia- based terror group and its affiliates in the country.
In a statement, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said Amzad Khan who operated online with a number of aliases was arrested yesterday after his deportation on April 4.
37-year-old Khan, a resident of Rajasthan, had emerged as a major suspect in the case against unknown and unidentified persons involved in ISIS-related activities in countries at peace with India.
“The name of one Rajasthan resident Ayan Khan Salafi alias Muhammadi Ayan alias Al Wala Wal Bara (online identities) had surfaced as a major suspect in the case,” it said.
The agency claimed that he was working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 2014.
“On preliminary questioning, it was ascertained that the said Ayan Khan Salafis actual name is Amzad Khan, 37 years, resident of…District Churu, Rajasthan,” it said.
According to the NIA, Khan had emerged as one of the principal characters in the conspiracy hatched by the absconding accused, Yusuf-al-Hindi alias Shafi Armar who has already been charge-sheeted and other members of the newly-formed organisation Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind (JKH).
The group had allegedly pledged their allegiance to the proscribed terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) for carrying out subversive activities in India.
“During investigation it was established that he was also in regular online contact with accused Nafees Khan, Shafi Armar alias Yusuf-al-Hindi, Rizwan alias Khalid alias Azad Bhai and one more accused in the case who later turned approver, during November and December, 2015 and January, 2016,” the NIA said.
It said they were communicating with one another through online platforms like Facebook, Nimbuzz, Trillian and Telegram messaging applications.
Khan had allegedly played a key role in motivating and linking members of the newly-formed JKH.
“Further, the said suspect was also in regular online contact on Nimbuzz chat application with Alamzeb Afridi during December 2015 to January, 2016,” it said.
Afridi was the main accused in the Bengaluru Church Street Blast Case. A native of Ahmedabad, Afridi is now lodged in Bengaluru jail, the NIA said.