Mother of IS 'recruit' approaches SC seeking probe

The mother of a woman from Thiruvananthapuram, who reportedly joined the IS after converting to Islam, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a probe by a national agency into forced religious conversions in the country.

Bindu Sampath, mother of Nimisha (Fathima), a resident of Attukal here, stated that Kerala was emerging as a hub of IS and jihadi activities.

She sought an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Research and Analysis Wing or Intelligence Bureau into forced religious conversions.

Nimisha was identified, in mid-2016, as one of the 22 Keralites who went missing from Kasaragod and Palakkad districts to join the IS. She converted to Islam after marrying a man from Palakkad, identified as Isa.

Bindu had later met her at Isa’s home in Palakkad.

Nimisha, who was pregnant when she went missing, is reported to have given birth to a girl child in Afghanistan.

Isa himself had converted, along with his brother, from Christianity to Islam.

Isa’s brother Yahya and his wife Miriam were also among the missing.

Bindu said her appeal was in response to reports of more girls being “lured” intoreligious conversion and used in anti-national activities.

Bindu’s move assumes significance ahead of the Supreme Court’s next hearing of the Hadiya case.

The NIA is investigating the conversion of Akhila (Hadiya), a trained homoeopath, to Islam followed by her marriage to a Muslim man, Shafin
Jahan.

In May, the Kerala High Court annulled their marriage, leaving Hadiya in custody of her parents.

The Kerala governmeny, however, contends that there is no need for the NIA to step in.

“The Kerala Police are competent to conduct the investigation in such crimes and would have reported to the Central government if any scheduled offences were found to have been committed during such investigation as per the provisions of the NIA Act,” it told the SC on Friday.