Mastermind was in touch with three foreign handlers

Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have revealed that Saquib Nachan, who was among the 15 people arrested in raids at various locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka on Saturday, was the mastermind of the ISIS Maharashtra terror module and was directly in touch with three foreign-based ISIS handlers: Mohammad@Bhai, Abu Sultan, and Abu Suleman from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

- ASHISH SINGH

According to the NIA investigation, Nachan presented himself as a religious leader administering the 'bayath' (oath of allegiance to the Khalifa of ISIS) to the arrested accused in the Maharashtra terror module, including his son Shamil Nachan, and the other accused who have been arrested along with him. They aimed to create a 'liberated zone' in India, affiliated to the ISIS Khilafat.

The NIA investigation revealed that Saquib Nachan conducted three kinds of 'bayath', depending on the seniority of the recruits.

Some arrested accused disclosed during interrogation that during the oath, an ISIS flag was displayed in the background and guns were placed with the flag.