Man with terror outfit links arrested in Erode

COIMBATORE: A 29-year-old man with links to a banned terror outfit has been arrested by police in Erode on Wednesday.

The accused Aasif Muzafudin, 29, from Manikkampalayam had links with the banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The Veerappan Chatram police booked him on various sections of IPC including 121 (attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India), 122 (collecting arms with intention of waging war) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war). He was also slapped with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Police said Aasif was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody till 10 August. He was then taken to Coimbatore and lodged in Coimbatore Central prison. He was picked up along with his friend Yasin, 33, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths and was quizzed for long hours jointly with the Erode district police. An inquiry was underway with Yasin at the police quarter’s campus in RN Pudur.

The central investigation agency has also seized a laptop, mobile phone, sim cards, discriminating documents, weapons, and flags of the banned outfit from the house of Aasif during a search. The development comes after the Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths from Bengaluru police arrested Abdul Alim Mullah for his terror links from Salem.