Popular Front of India member exposed as 'ISIS sympathiser'

Last week the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took suspected ISIS sympathiser into five-day custody after he was deported from Turkey following his third alleged attempt to cross into ISIS territory.

Shahjahan Velluva Kandy, a native of Kerala's Kannur district, has also used Facebook to call Islamic State fighters 'role models' alongside posts on al- Qaeda 'poetry'.

A senior NIA official told Mail Today that Kandy's social media accounts were scanned showing his links to people who are involved in creating fake travel documents and sending people to join the jihad.

Shahjahan Velluva Kandy, a native of Kerala's Kannur district, allegedly used Facebook to post celebrate Islamic State fighters as 'role models'

Many ISIS sympathisers connect to each other through social networking sites and encrypted chats, say sources.

Mail Today accessed Kandy's Facebook account through which he was in touch with several Islamic State supporters along with some of those who have already fled to Syria.

At first glimpse, 32-year-old Kandy's FB account may not throw up anything unusual, with a profile picture of him on a horse and a wide landscape shot of a green hill.

But scroll down a little and a flurry of hate posts stare back. Kandy is an activist of the Kerala-based outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

Many ISIS sympathisers connect to each other through social networking sites and encrypted chats, say sources

Sources say the group could soon be banned by the government for its alleged links to terrorism and conversion activities.

Kandy was active on Facebook until June 2016 and frequently posted pictures and posts about purported violence against ISIS fighters.

Security agencies say social media has become one of the biggest sources of recruiting new jihadis by instigating them with provocative posts.

When many Facebook users around the world changed their profile picture to a flag of France to condemn a terror strike in Paris, Kandy posted a picture of a burning French flag as a mark of protest against the country's military intervention against ISIS.

His post got five shares and was liked by over 40 people. Security agencies are scanning his friend list and groups he was active in as they suspect the presence of many ISIS recruiters.

Cops have got vital leads from social media sites in breaking the ISIS network in Kerala.

Some of Kandy's Facebook friends faced a crackdown last week when Kerala police arrested five people with suspected links to Islamic State from Kannur.

Thalassery native Manaf and Hamsa had allegedly recruited people from Kasaragod and Kannur districts for the terror group.

Kandy is an activist of the Kerala-based outfit Popular Front of India (PFI)

Hamsa had connections with international leaders of ISIS and he led recruitment from northern Kerala.

The other three — KC Mithilaj, Abdul Razzak and AV Rashid — were reportedly trained by Islamic State in Istanbul and were trying to enter Syria when they were stopped by Turkish police.

They were then deported to Kerala. All of them were connected to Kandy through Facebook.

The Kannur resident during his interrogation also told cops that at least six people from Kerala are fighting for the Islamic State in Syria since February.

Last week, Mail Today reported about an Indian doctor who now goes by the name Abu Muqatil al-Hindi and has become a big worry for security agencies as he is believed to be the man currently heading recruitment of jihadis from India. 

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Investigators also tried to find out Abu's real identity through Kandy and how he managed to reach Syria.

Kandy through his Facebook account was not only spreading venom by sharing fake news and posts about atrocities against Muslims across India but he openly abused RSS leaders, the central government leadership and even investigating agencies like NIA.

He had put up several posts related to beef ban to instigate people he was in touch with.

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All his posts are politically motivated and aimed at provoking the Muslim community. He openly boycotted Republic Day celebrations and came out in support of Rohingya Muslims while sharing posts related to violence against them in Myanmar and in India.

The NIA had re-registered the case probed by Delhi police's special cell. Police said he procured a fake passport using the services of an agent from Chennai.

Shahjahan's passport was detected as fake only after his flight left for Turkey.

Indian officials alerted their counterparts in Turkey and he was immediately sent back.

BJP calls for Popular Front of India ban

India Today TV's sting operation on massive conversions carried out by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala has raised many questions about the authenticity of such NGOs.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad raised concerns about the working of such NGOs and called the case of massive conversions an 'extreme case of radicalisation'.

He demanded a detailed probe into the case and said that action should be taken against the culprits.

Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad raised concerns about the working of such NGOs and called the case of massive conversions an 'extreme case of radicalisation'

Applauding India Today TV's sting on the PFI's racket of religious conversions, Prasad said anyone who wants to convert by choice can do that, but forced conversions are a 'serious national issue'.

'Why I am specifically complementing India Today is because they did a sting on Hurriyat and its foreign funds. No one from Hurriyat has denied. The second extraordinary initiative is to expose the terror elements in Kerala,' he said.

Targetting the Congress, Prasad said, 'Surprisingly, Rahul, who speaks on every issue these days, is silent on Hurriyat and Kerala. We also demand action from the Kerala government. People have  voted them to govern, and not for vote bank politics.' 

Reacting to India Today TV's sting operation on PFI on Tuesday, Prasad said the organisation should be banned.

'Your investigation shows that there is a PFI, the Popular Front of India, which is having an organised racket employing people who are owning it up on your channel that they are creating a radical group by some kind of psychological brainwashing,' the Union minister said.

Post the TV expose on forceful conversions by PFI in Kerala, the chief minister's office has asked for a copy of the report and said appropriate action will be taken after the report is received.

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India Today TV released a sting operation on Tuesday that shows Zainaba A.S., head of the PFI's women's wing, accepting that the organisation's sister concern Sathya Sarani has carried out massive conversions.

As the report was released, Zainab denied the allegations and termed them 'baseless'. The Kerala CMO has asked for a copy of the report which will be forwarded to the state intelligence department on an urgent basis.

Authorities said the matter will be treated with utmost seriousness. The PFI is also under investigation by the NIA, which is looking into the sting.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-5040351/Popular-India-member-exposed-ISIS-sympathiser.html