Kochi: Mother of accused in conversion case held

Kochi: The mother of main accused in the forcible conversion case in which a 25-year-old woman from Pathanamthitta was taken to Syria with the intention of selling her to Islamic State, was taken into custody upon her arrival at the Nedumbassery airport on Wednesday.

However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigating the case is unlikely to record her arrest.

According to sources, Zeenath, mother of Muhammad Riyaz -- the main accused in the case, is 11th accused in the case and a look-out circular was earlier issued against her.

“She was intercepted at the airport upon her arrival from Saudi Arabia Wednesday morning since the look-out circular was pending against her. Her passport was seized and she was later handed over to us. Her interrogation is on,” they said.

According to NIA sources, her arrest is unlikely to be recorded as the officers have obtained necessary information during her interrogation.

As per the case, the victim, a native of Ranni in Pathanamthitta and who was brought up in Gujarat, met Riyas while studying in Bengaluru in 2014 and had a relation with him. The latter allegedly forced her to have sex with him and filmed it secretly. He then began to threaten her and forced to marry him.

Though her parents took her with them, Riyas filed a Habeas Corpus before the High Court. She was left with him and the two flew to Saudi Arabia. There he forced her to join a madrasa and allegedly made her watch videos of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. He also allegedly used fake documents to get their marriage registered in May 2016.