The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday conducted searches at different locations in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry in connection with a case registered against a man who is suspected to have links with terrorist organisations. The search operations were conducted at nine locations in Chennai and Mayiladuthurai districts of Tamil Nadu and in Karaikal district of Puducherry. As per a statement from the agency, Md Sathik Batcha, alias ICAMA Sadik, a resident of Mayiladuthurai, along with four other accused persons, had hatched a conspiracy to threaten the general public and police officials and had attempted to murder a policeman during a vehicle check on February 21, 2022. The statement further said, “The accused persons were also involved in inciting hatred for secession of a part of India and had intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India by forming outfits like ’Khilafah party of India’, 'Khilafah front of India', ‘Intellectual Students of India’ (ISI) and associated themselves with proscribed terrorist organisations ISIS/Daesh and Al Qaeda.” The case against the accused was registered at a police station in Mayiladuthurai on February 21 this year and re-registered by the NIA on April 30. It was noted that during the raids, the officials seized 16 digital devices, six blunt weapons, metal rods, two nunchakus and several other incriminating documents, handwritten notes, etc. “Further investigation in the case continues,” the statement added.
