Alleged ISIS suspect Swalih Muhammed was passive in religious matters, say kin

Kozhikode: Relatives of Ambalathu Swalih Muhammed who was picked up by NIA from Kannur for his alleged ISIS links say he never showed much interest in religious matters and was settled in Chennai for some time now with his wife and two-year-old baby boy. His mother’s ancestral home is at Venganallur in Chelakkara, and his father’s relatives are residing at Koorkenchery and Chayoor in Thrissur.

One of his maternal uncles living in Venganallur said he stayed near his house with his mother and three other siblings for some time to do his schooling after the family returned from Nigeria where his father was working. “His father had a Filipina wife in Nigeria where he was doing some business. Swalih’s mother found this out, and problems started in the family," he said.

Swalih was settled in Chennai for some time now with wife and 2-year-old son."She was put under house arrest by his father in Nigeria and later returned to India with her kids. The issue with Swalih’s family was that he and his siblings did not get proper attention from his father and that might be the reason why he went astray.” His father later managed to withdraw the complaint of his mother and promised to pay for their maintenance. But, he did not provide financial assistance as promised, and because of financial and family issues Swalih could study only up to Plus Two, the uncle said.  

One of his schoolmates in Venganallur, Manu Varghese, said he was an intelligent student who scored good marks for SSLC though he missed out several classes due to family issues. He married a woman from Kozhikode against the wishes of his family, and for the last few years, the couple was staying in Chennai.