NIA to take over case involving suspected ISIS operatives held in Gujarat

The National Investigation Agency will take over from Gujarat ATS a case involving two suspected ISIS operatives arrested in February allegedly for plotting to spread terror in the state, a senior official said here today.

Waseem Ramodiya and his younger brother Naeem were arrested by the Gujarat ATS from Rajkot and Bhavnagar, respectively, for allegedly plotting to spread terror in the state on the instructions of their ISIS handlers.

"The NIA will take over from the ATS the probe into a case involving two suspected ISIS operatives. We will hand over the probe documents to NIA officials in the coming days," a top ATS official has said. The duo is presently lodged in Rajkot jail.

When Waseem and Naeem were in the custody of the ATS, an NIA team conducted a joint interrogation with ATS at the latter's headquarters here. As per the FIR, the brothers were under surveillance for over a year for their suspected activities and communication with their alleged ISIS handlers.

It stated that Waseem and Naeem were about to carry out 'lone-wolf' attacks in Gujarat and had planned to escape to Syria after that. During their interrogation by the ATS, it was revealed that Waseem had convinced Naeem to join him for spreading terror using various means, including planting bombs, the ATS official said.