NIA questions Mehdi on 'link' with Islamic State

Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday questioned Mehdi Masroor Biswas, an alleged Islamic State (IS) Twitter handler who was arrested by the police in the City on Saturday.

The NIA investigating officer, who has been grilling Areeb Majeed who joined an IS camp and returned from Iraq, interrogated Mehdi.

Sources said the NIA officials quizzed Mehdi to cross-check information revealed by Majeed. A senior police officer said that besides the NIA team and Central intelligence agencies, police teams from Hyderabad and Delhi had arrived in Bengaluru to question Mehdi.

“The NIA had registered an FIR against Areeb Majeed under Section 125 of the IPC and the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The officials are trying to ascertain if Mehdi was also in touch with the IS men whom Majeed had met during his visit to Iraq. Though Mehdi confessed to have no direct contacts with any IS handler, the officials want to question him based on the statement made by Majeed,” an official said.

The NIA had booked Majeed for waging war against Asiatic powers in alliance with India under Section 125 of the IPC and for terror acts under Sections 16, 18 and 20 of the UAPA.

The Central intelligence officials have been analysing every tweet posted by Mehdi. Mehdi had posted almost 1,30,000 tweets and has more than 17,700 followers. The officials are also analysing and trying to identify the followers, sources said. DCP (Crime) Abhishek Goyal said Mehdi was still being questioned and a specific result cannot be expected soon. “Investigation is progressing at a very good pace. A lot of new things have come to light during the probe. It will take some more time to see any spectacular result in the investigation,” he said.

No fresh arrests
Joint Commissioner (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar said there had been no fresh arrests in the case. Asked if any suspects were picked up for questioning in Mysuru, he said, “It is all rumour. No one has been picked up by the CCB in Mysuru.”

However, sources said a CCB team was in Mysore to verify if Mehdi had met anyone there during his visits.Meanwhile, Mehdi’s parents arrived in the City on Tuesday night. They will meet the police commissioner on Wednesday.