New Delhi: A special court on Friday rejected the bail plea of arrested suspected ISIS operative Mohd Naser Packeer after the NIA claimed he was in nexus with the banned terror outfit and may hamper the probe if granted the relief at this stage.
District Judge Amarnath refused to grant relief to the accused after National Investigating Agency (NIA) said it was probing the identity and role of his associates in recruiting and financing Indian youths who were willing to join ISIS.
According to sources, during an in-camera proceeding, the court extended till May 6 the judicial custody of 23-yr-old Tamil Nadu-based Naser, who was deported from Sudan and arrested in the case on December 11 last year.
"The investigation pertaining to this case is scattered in different parts of the country and being carried out on day-to-day basis. The accused persons are in nexus with banned terrorist organisation and may hamper the ongoing probe," the NIA told the court, claiming that offences committed by him were "serious in nature".
"During custodial interrogation, he has disclosed many facts about his involvement in the instant case about recruiting and financing persons, willing to join Caliphate of ISIS and to motivate Indian youths to join ISIS in furtherance of its activities and ideologies in India" the NIA said.
The sources said NIA also submitted that electronic items seized from accused and their family members, which include a laptops, external hard-discs, mobile phones and SIMs, have been sent for forensic tests and results were awaited.
The agency had earlier informed the court that it has sought assistance from the US and UAE for evidence related to social media and other chat messengers used by him.
Besides Naser, the NIA had arrested several suspected ISIS operatives in the case for allegedly recruiting and financing people to join the terror outfit.
It had alleged that these accused were arrested for allegedly planning to carry out attacks ahead of the Republic Day. They were arrested under several sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC.
A case was registered by NIA on December 9, 2015, against unknown and unidentified persons involved in the activities of ISIS in India and Asian Powers in Peace with India.
