Four youths ‘on way to join ISIS’ detained

The police did not register any case against them and have also withheld their names. “I can neither confirm nor deny this incident,’’ said Joint Commissioner of Police B M Reddy.

However, it has been learnt, that the four engineering college dropouts had separately told their parents that they were going to Bangalore in search for jobs, but started giving evasive replies when they received calls from their parents on mobile phones.

The police tracked their cellphones to Malda in West Bengal, and they were detained there while allegedly trying to cross over to Bangladesh from where they wanted to go to Iraq to join ISIS. The youths, however, had no clue how would reach Iraq, and ascertained that they were on their own and were not guided by anyone.

The four told the policemen that they were influenced by the ISIS propaganda on social networking sites and decided to join the jihadist group.

However, Muslim leaders here believe it was a case of mistaken identity. “First, we don’t believe this story. If at all the youths were detained, I think they were on their way to Bangladesh border to purchase duplicate cigarettes, pan masalas and other stuff which are available very cheap there,” said Amjed Ullah Khan of Majlis Bachao Tehreek.