Imam among two held in Assam for ‘radicalising’ youth: police

Two persons, including an Imam, were arrested in Assam's Morigaon district on the charge of radicalising the Muslim youth of the state, a police officer said here on Monday.

Acting on the information provided by the arrested head of a madrassa Mufti Mustafa during interrogation, the police picked up the two from Sahariapam under Moirabari police station area on Sunday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police Moushumi Das told reporters here.

One of the two is Ikramullah Islam, the Imam of Goroimari Jame Masjid, while the second person, Mussadik Hussain, is a farmer who occasionally works as a driver.

They were allegedly involved in organising camps and workshops on Mustafa's instruction in different parts of Morigaon and Nagaon districts to radicalise the youth, Das said.

The duo was present in a three-day training session organised by Mustafa, which was attended by a member of Bangladeshi terror outfit Ansarul Bangla Team (ABT), the police officer claimed.

The police are also looking for two other persons, who are absconding, for their alleged involvement in similar activities in Morigaon district, the DSP added.

The police have so far arrested seven people, including Mustafa's wife and brother, in the district in this connection.

Mustafa, the head of a madrassa which was demolished later by the district authorities for allegedly not following building norms, was the first person to be arrested for the alleged "jihadi activities" in the district.

Four madrassas were demolished in Morigaon, Barpeta, Bongaigaon and Goalpara districts, the first three by the respective district authorities for "not adhering to building norms". The fourth was razed to the ground allegedly by the local people as, the police claimed, they do not want such activities in their area.

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