‘Police ignored proof against man who radicalised my daughter’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The mother of a missing student said on Saturday that police failed to act on “clinching evidence” against a Muslim man who allegedly radicalised her daughter before she is suspected to have joined a terror outfit in Syria or Iraq.

The 24-year-old Hindu woman Nimisha – who took the name Fathima after converting to Islam – is among 21 people from Kerala who have allegedly joined a terror outfit such as the Islamic State, according to police. Some of those missing have reportedly sent messages to their families saying they have reached their ‘final destination”.

“I have given enough evidences about one Sajjad Rehman who converted at least three girls and later radicalised them but police are yet to take any action against him. A doctor by profession he is roaming around freely and now preparing for civil services examination,” said Bindu, the distraught mother of the dental student.

“Some reports suggest they are in Iran and others say they are in Afghanistan. Each day is crucial for us,” she said adding that her daughter is in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Bindu said she will trying and meet external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to seek the central government’s help in tracing her daughter.

A senior Kerala police officer, however, denied any lapses in their probe. “The SIT has apprehended two people from Mumbai, including an aide Zakir Naik, and more arrests are likely in the coming days,” he said.

On Saturday, the SIT arrested a Mumbai man who is suspected to be a recruiter for the IS. Two days ago, an associate of Naik was arrested, also from Mumbai.

However, police are yet to make any arrests in Kerala, which has emerged as a major breeding ground of radical Islamic ideology with several top terrorist leaders emerging from the state over the years.

Bindu said that the aide of Zakir Naik was arrested on a complaint filed by relatives of another missing person. “But my complaint was overlooked by the state police. It seems they dread to deal with conversion issues.”