The Kerala Police has been “verifying” the mysterious disappearance from Kasaragod district of about a dozen youth who are feared to have joined the Islamic State terrorist group.
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17 people from Kerala have been suspected to have joined the ISIS.
The “very serious issue” was reported to the Chief Minister on Friday by Kasargod MP P Karunakaran who had received information from the kin of a few “missing” people in his constituency.
Kasaragod District Panchayat member V P P Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youths received “Whatsapp” messages saying “we are not coming back”. We have also come to know that officials from central agencies are also here.
In another message it was written “We have joined IS to fight USA for attacking Muslims”.
Rajagopal told PTI that all those missing were below the age of 30 and highly qualified.
When she was asked about her location, a message from Nimisha’s Facebook said that she was in some remote location.
Sources said one couple told relatives that they were leaving for Mumbai to start a new business.
But Abdul Salam, whose nephew is suspected to be in the missing group of 13, and who is bringing together the families at Padanna and Trikkarippur, said that many of these youths had frequented radical training programmes at a farm house at Tirur in Malappuram.
Of the 15 missing youngsters, 11 hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district of Kerala, while the rest are from Palakkad district.
Mustafa confirmed that among those missing was Dr Ijas and his dentist wife, who had left home saying they were going to Lakshadweep. They said they were in touch with her daughter till about three weeks ago.
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“Just because they are missing does not mean they all have joined the IS”, he said. “Besides, the families have not approached local police with a formal complaint”. Bindu said Nimisha had told her about plans to visit Sri Lanka.
