Kochi: Are cops sleeping on IS recruit cells?

Kochi: The reports of 18 persons from Kerala joining the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) has once again brought to focus the inefficiencies of the state police force, National Investigation Agency and other intelligence agencies monitoring terrorist activities.

Investigating agencies now claim that there are more than 100 sleeping cells of IS in the state to recruit people. Interestingly the state police ignored the complaints and dismissed them as a mere man missing cases even after close relatives of some of the persons missing approaching the High Court filing habeas corpus petition. The agencies are not making effort to track hundreds of habeas corpus petitions being filed before the HC.

Incidentally, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is investigating 20 cases in the state, one fifth of total NIA cases registered in the country. Both the state police and the NIA failed to protect the interests of complaint filed by Bindu hailing from Manakkad near Thiruvananthapuram.

Though the courts completed hearing in the NIA cases the agency failed to nab the key conspirators in the cases and in most cases the NIA was forced to file the charge sheet with the same set of accused arrested by state police. Even in high profile cases like hand chopping case the key accused are still absconding including the main assailant.

NIA officials point to the staff shortage behind the delay in many cases. The agency has only 45 cops with them and all are engaged in investigation.