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Kerala police arrest one more Islamic State operative from Mumbai

Khan's is the second arrest this week in the joint operation of Kerala and Maharashtra ATS.

MUMBAI: A day after arresting Arshi Qureshi for converting and radicalising Mariam aka Merin who went missing from Kerala along with her husband, the Kerala and Maharashtra anti-terrorism aquads (ATS) on Friday arrested Rizwan Khan, 50, a resident of old Kalyan, for alleged links with the banned terrorist outfit, Islamic State (ISIS). Khan was called in for questioning after his name cropped up in the Kerala ATS’ investigation into conversion and radicalisation of Merin, and later arrested. Khan’s is the second arrest this week in the joint operation of Kerala and Maharashtra ATS.

Officials on Thursday arrested Qureshi after Merin’s brother, Ebin Jacob, complained that Qureshi, along with some others, had convinced Merin to join ISIS. Merin is said to have gone missing from Kerala, along with 21 youngsters and is believed to have joined the terrorist organisation. According to officials, Khan too was called in for questioning on Thursday after Qureshi’s arrest. He is married and stays with his wife and three children in old Kalyan, where he has been residing since childhood, informed sources.

Also, like Qureshi, who was guest relations manager with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Khan too, is said to be associated with IRF. Commenting on Khan’s arrest, an ATS officer said: “Rizwan Khan has been arrested on the basis of certain documents. In the course of the investigation, we came to know that at the time of marriage, the court demanded presence of a guardian and two witnesses. Rizwan happened to be one of the witnesses when Merin got married to her now husband and the couple converted to Islam. While we have arrested Rizwan, further investigation is underway.”

“Merin’s brother also informed the police that a man, along with Qureshi, forcibly tried to convert him to Islam so that he could join ISIS. That’s when Kerala ATS registered a complaint against Qureshi. At the time of Merin’s marriage with her now husband when the couple converted to Islam, Rizwan signed his name as witness,” the ATS officer said. Khan was produced in court on Saturday and remanded to ATS custody till July 25. “We arrested Rizwan Khan as we found his signature on the marriage draft and he was the person accompanying Qureshi. Further interrogation is underway. If Kerala ATS finds something, both accused will be taken to Kerala in future,” informed the ATS officer.

Khan’s lawyer, I.A. Khan, however, said: “Rizwan is being kept under illegal custody. He has nothing to do with the matter. ATS is falsely trying to implicate him. He is innocent. ATS is saying, ‘sometime in the past, he may have influenced a girl or boy’ but that is not true. Now he is in transit remand till July 25 and ATS will have to produce him in court. Once he is produced in the Ernakulam court on July 25, we will see what we can do.”

A relative of Khan, who did not wish to be named, said: “It is very shocking for us. Rizwan is not that kind of person and we are sure he is not involved with the ISIS. There’s some confusion here. Rizwan is a social worker by profession and visits various Muslim social organisations based in Mumbai and nearby areas. He usually helps people who want to embrace Islam on their own accord. If a non-Muslim wants to embrace Islam, Rizwan prepares affidavits and takes care of the legal procedures. He is not the person who would convert someone forcibly. Maybe, he did not know that the couple was forced to convert to Islam.”

A case under IPC Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 A (promoting enmity between groups), as well as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has been registered against Qureshi in Kochi. Meanwhile, IRF on Friday admitted that Qureshi was associated with them but denied any “terror encouragement” by its staff.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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