NIA to interrogate B'luru man over 'IS links'

 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will question a youth from Karnataka, who is suspected of having links with the Islamic State.  The case pertains to Abid Khan (23), a resident of northern Bengaluru, who was arrested by the Himachal Pradesh police in early January. The investigation was taken over by the NIA later.

On Thursday, the NIA special court in Shimla remanded Khan in NIA custody till March 29. He is being brought to Delhi for custodial interrogation, the NIA said in a statement.

Khan is accused of having links with an IS network said to be active in India and Sri Lanka. He used social media platforms to “interact” with his associates, according to the NIA.

The agency claimed that he was also planning to go to Syria via Indonesia to join the Islamic State. He is also suspected to have been “closely associated” with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an international, pan-Islamic political outfit. His arrest, the NIA said, was linked to the arrest of four persons in 2015 who were “involved” in radicalisation of Indian youths and motivating them to join the IS.

Khan, the NIA claimed, had ostensibly converted to Christianity in 2016 following the arrest of the four men. He had changed his name to Paul and was living in a church at the time of his arrest.