NIA takes over probe into alleged ISIS inspired module

Lucknow: The NIA has taken over the investigations into the activities of an alleged 'self- radicalised' ISIS inspired module, a suspected member of which was killed an encounter in Lucknow earlier this month.

"We have handed over the documents related to the ISIS module to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as directed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh," IG Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) Aseem Arun said today.

Till now, the state police was handling the case and had procured a 10-day police remand of five accused persons arrested in UP, he said.

The custody of the accused will be handed to the NIA sleuths, and if required they could seek further remand from the court, Arun said.

According to the UP police, Saifullah, who was killed in an encounter on March 8, was suspected to be linked with the blast in the Bhopal-Ujjain train in Madhya Pradesh and belonged to a self-proclaimed group of ISIS supporters.

"Details extracted from arrested members of the group will also be shared with the NIA officials," the IG ATS said.

Besides these five arrests, three others were held in Madhya Pradesh by the police of that state, taking the total number of arrests to eight.

Officials feel that with the NIA taking over the case, the probe will now gather pace.

Alleged terrorist Saifullah, suspected to be a member of this self radicalised group, was killed on the outskirts of Lucknow after a 12-hour police operation in the wake of the Ujjain-Bhopal train blast.

His body was found with weapons lying next to him, the UPA ATS had claimed.

After the operation, police claimed to have recovered eight pistols, 630 live cartridges, Rs 1.5 lakh, three mobiles phone, four sim cards, two wireless sets and some foreign currency from the place where Saifullah lived.

The Home Minister told Parliament that due to the prompt action taken by the police of UP and MP, "a possible threat to national security was successfully averted".