ISIS Pune Module Case: Court Extends NIA Custody Of Alleged Operatives Until June 2

Mumbai: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has extended till June 2 the custody of Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh and Talha Khan, both arrested for their alleged links with ISIS.

Shaikh and Khan were arrested at Mumbai airport for alleged links to the terror organisation’s sleeper module and fabrication and testing of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in Pune in 2023. In court, Khan alleged torture in NIA custody, which was denied by the agency.

Officials produced medical reports of each day when he was questioned. The court asked Khan if he wanted to go for a medical examination, which Khan refused, prompting the court to extend his custody. In the court, NIA also claimed that the accused had communicated with each other through multiple email addresses and mobile numbers.

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The agency said they have sought data of these email addresses and SIM numbers. Officials also stated they need to confront the accused with data and suspicious transactions of various banks linked to them. The defence lawyer, however, claimed the two were not absconding and left India for work.

Raising apprehensions of torture, the lawyer said their custody is not needed to investigate matters related to data. The court also noted that the NIA needs to trace a weapon related to the accused, for which their interrogation is needed.