By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
The arrest of six Muslim youths by National Investigation Agency for allegedly conspiring to carry out attacks in South India has come as a shock for their families.
On Sunday, Manseed from Kannur district, Swalih Mohammed from Thrissur district, Safwan P from Malappuram district and Jasim NK and Ramshad Nageelan from Kozhikode district were arrested by NIA and produced before the NIA special court in Kochi. The sixth person, Abu Basheer alias Rashid hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,
They were taken into custody from Kanakamala, a small remote hill station in Kannur.
According to his relatives, Swalih Muhammed was a man who had little interest in religious matters.
“He was not a hardliner, but had gone astray. Swalih grew up in troubled environment due to issues between his mother and father,” one of Swalih’s uncles told media person expressing his shock over the incident.
Manu Varghese, Swalih’s school mate, said that he was an intelligent student, who completed primary education with good marks despite regular absence in tenth standard.
Mother of P Safwan in Malappuram denied any suspicious move by his son. “He was associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). But, my son wasn’t involved in any unwanted activity,” she said. Safwan’s family knew about the incident when policemen visited their house at Ponmundam on Sunday. “The policemen found nothing after long search,” she told media persons.
Safwan, who is a designer in Malayalam daily Thejas (run by the PFI) in Kozhikode, told his relatives that he was going to Kanakamala in Kannur for a sightseeing trip on Sunday with friends. Soon after his arrest, SDPI issued a release stating Safwan had been ousted from the party and Thejas as he flouted the party’s guidelines.
“Both SDPI and PFI can’t tolerate with any move in favour of terror outfits like IS. The party has taken a clear stand against IS and its attrocities,” said Thejas Thrissur bureau cheif and PFI Malappuram district functionary KPO Rahmathulla. He added that the party won’t extend any legal aid for him.
One of his neighbours, Abdurahman said that he had found nothing wrong with the youngster. “He was an active presence in all community affairs,” he said.
Safwan has had a previous run in with the authorities, and was the 11th accused in a case related to the attack on Kottakkal police station when some National Democratic Front (NDF) leaders were taken to custody by the police.
While talking to media persons in Kannur on Monday, Manseed’s wife Mariam said that her husband was trapped. “I don’t think he is involved in this case,” she said.
Mehboobi, Manseed’s sister, said that he was very much attached to his family.
“Those who go for jihad tend to show no commitment to their families. He was the lone support to my family as my father is not well,” she said.
Local residents in his native place, according to media reports, recalled him before the police as a youth who is very cordial to people.
Jasim N K and Ramshad, both hailing from Kuttyadi in Kozhikide district, were said to be quiet and obedient students. The relatives of the duo as well as the residents refuse to believe that these youngsters were involved with any terror activity. However, media reports say that the two got into the IS terror web during their interaction with IS sympathisers in the online world.
Jasim is an engineering graduate from Cochin University of Science and Technology (KUSAT) campus at Kuttanad while Ramshad is a graduate in commerce from CMS College of Science and Commerce in Coimbatore.
Ramshad was a silent person and an ardent follower of Tablighi sect. According to neighbours, the duo abstained from interacting much with the local people.