Madrasa owner with alleged ISIS links held for planning terror attacks: NIA

New Delhi: A self-proclaimed cleric has been arrested by NIA officials for allegedly planning terror attacks in the country. He is reported to have ISIS leanings.

Abdus Sami Qasmi, a resident of Seelampur, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district. He has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the conspiracy to form a terror organisation and to launch terror attacks in the country, NIA officials said.

Adbus Sami has been delivering provocative and inflammatory speeches in the support of 'Caliphate' (ISIS), they said.

He has launched a few websites wherein his speeches have been uploaded. Abdus Sami has been allegedly instigating and motivating youth for anti-national activities and has visited various parts of the country in order to deliver his 'Takreer and Bayaan' (speech and statement), the NIA officials said.

He runs a trust and madrassas and some of his financial transactions in this connection have allegedly been found to be of suspicious nature and the same are under investigation, they said.

Abdus Sami was arrested yesterday by the NIA with the active support of Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad yesterday. A Non-Bailable Warrant against him had earlier been issued by the Special NIA court.