2 ISIS Suspects With Links to SL Blasts Arrested in Kochi by NIA

Nearly 300 people were killed and hundreds more hospitalised in eight blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter. 

(Photo: Chamila Karunarathne/AP)

The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday, 30 October took two persons, alleged to be involved in pro-Islamic State activities, into four days custody.
Mohammed Azaruddin and Sheikh Hidayathullah are also accused to have links with those behind the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.

Sheik Hidayathullah (38) and Mohammed Azaruddin (32) were arrested in June from Coimbatore district by the NIA. Sheikh Hidayathullah was arrested for his alleged association with Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a banned organisation.

The accused who were in judicial custody were given to the custody of investigation officers for four days by the NIA court in Kochi. With the aid of experts from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, NIA had examined the seized mobile phones and electronic gadgets of the accused persons, reports The Hindu.

The report also states that the examination conducted on the gadgets has found key information regarding the alleged links the accused persons have with those involved in the Easter blasts.

The bomb blast which happened at multiple places in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in April had killed about 290 people and injured nearly 500. The eight explosions which happened at multiple locations had also killed five Indian citizens.

Sheik Hidayathullah (38) and Mohammed Azaruddin (32) were arrested in June from Coimbatore district by the NIA. Sheikh Hidayathullah was arrested for his alleged association with Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a banned organisation. Mohammed Azaruddin was arrested for running a Facebook page called ‘KhilafahGFX’ through which he had allegedly been ‘propagating ISIS/Daish ideology’.

The electronic gadgets from where the reported links have been found out, was seized from raids conducted in Coimbatore district in August. Digital devices including one laptop, five mobile phones, four SIM cards, one memory card, and eight CDs/ DVDs along with a large number of incriminating documents were seized during the raid.

The bomb blast which happened at multiple places in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in April had killed about 290 people and injured nearly 500. The eight explosions which happened at multiple locations had also killed five Indian citizens. The explosions happened at three luxury hotels, three churches were Easter celebrations were happening and near Dehiwala Zoological Gardens.