Kerala may seek probe by National Investigation Agency

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is likely to seek a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into suspected recruitment of Keralites by Islamic State. Even as there is no formal confirmation on whether the missing persons had joined the IS, top police officers strongly feel that the suspicions that those missing had joined IS could be true .

According to top police sources, the present strategy of the police is to register man missing cases as per complaints from relatives. After conducting a preliminary probe and collecting all available evidences, mainly the messages sent by those missing to their relatives, the Centre would be urged to take over the investigations. State police chief Loknath Behera was learnt to have given a report in this regard to the government.

Mr Behera, who even served in the NIA earlier, seemed to have indicated that from the available evidences, the missing youths could have joined the IS. He was also learnt to have stressed on the need for the state to initiate proactive measures to stop such attempts. Meanwhile, the Centre is likely to seek a report from the state government on the matter. Central Intelligence Bureau and RAW had already chipped in and collected details of the incident.