Kerala Preacher Held For ‘Radicalising’ 21 Men To Join Islamic State

Kannur: An Islamic preacher has been taken into custody from near Panur for his alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State (IS), police said today.

The man had taken classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, they said.

The preacher reportedly took classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS.

“We have taken a person into custody. Verification is on. As of now, we cannot conclude if he has any links with IS,” Kannur District Police Chief Kori Sanjaykumar Gurudin told.

Mohammed Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wynad was taken into custody from Panur last night, police said.

A Mumbai police team is also in Kannur and are verifying if he was the one against whom a case had also been registered in Mumbai, they added.

Hanif is reported to have worked as preacher in various places, police said.

Of the 21 persons who went missing from the state, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad, police said.

They include four women and three children. Their disappearance came to light last month after the families approached officials in Kasaragod.