Kerala: Terror suspects were asked to behead BJP, RSS members, shoot video

New Delhi: Six men who were part of an Islamic State-inspired group and were arrested from Kerala earlier in October, had allegedly been asked by their Afghanistan-based handler to behead at least three persons, two belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and one of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to a report in the Hindu, the men were also asked to record their gruesome acts on video.

One of the accused — Abu Basheer, 29, alias Rashid, a mechanic — had been asked to procure swords for the murders.

The men had been under watch from security agencies for four months, and were arrested on October 2 as they assembled at a hilltop in Kannur to plan attacks on an RSS rally in Tamil Nadu, and on politicians.

One of the accused — Manseed alias Omar al Hindi, 30, a Kerala resident working in Qatar — made an unscheduled visit to India in the last week of September, which alerted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and led to the arrests.