Woman under watch for links with Sirazuddin, ISIS

12 Dec 2015

A woman from Hyderabad who was allegedly in touch with the Indian Oil Corporation executive arrested for links with Islamic State has been put under surveillance.

"The woman in her mid-20s was radicalised online and deeply influenced by the activities of ISIS. She was in regular touch with many sympathisers of the terrorist group. She is under surveillance but efforts are on to de-radicalise her with the help of family and community leaders," a security official told PTI.

Mohammed Sirazudin, the arrested IOC executive, had formed closed groups of ISIS sympathisers, including the Hyderabadi girl and two youths from Maharashtra, in Facebook and WhatsApp and was allegedly spreading ISIS activities online and trying to recruit Indian youths to the Middle East terrorist group.

"Sirazudin was taken into custody as he was on the verge of turning into a 'lone wolf'," the official said.

A 'lone wolf' terrorist is one who indulges in violence in support of some group, movement or ideology but works alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group.

The Special Operation Group (SOG) and Anti-Terrorism Squad of Rajasthan Police arrested Sirazudin, the marketing manager of IOC, in Jaipur on Thursday.

Sirazudin, who is from Gulbarga in Karnataka, was accused of being active in flaring up and encouraging Muslim youths for joining ISIS activities, police said.

A number of issues of ISIS' online magazine `Dabik', pictures and video were recovered from him.