Another missing Kerala youth suspected to have joined ISIS

Another youth, who went missing from Malappuram, is suspected to have joined the Islamic State (ISIS). His mother filed a missing complaint stating that she got a text message from him stating that he had reached his destination. 

Najeeb, 23, a MTech student at Vellore Institute of Technology, has been missing since August 15 and his parents came to know about that only after getting his Telegram message. "I have made Hijra," he wrote to his mother. 

Read more:Kerala ISIS suspects used encrypted messaging to communicate

Hijra refers to the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina for escaping persecution. The migration took place in 622 CE, which is considered as the beginning of the Muslim era. 

The youth, in his Telegram message on August 17, wrote to his mother that there is no need to search for him or contact the police. He wrote that he had reached his destination and the people there are like Sahaba. Further, he wrote that contacting police will only add to their troubles and not to him and that it is his last message. The message was sent using the name Abu Bashir, reports News 18. 

His mother tried to persuade him to come back and even threatened that the whole family would commit suicide if he doesn't return. The youth replied that everyone would die soon and asked them to make Hijra. 

Also read: 42 Keralites, including suspected ISIS joinees, went missing in 5 years: Pinarayi

The parents then approached police and lodged a complaint on August 26. In the complaint, the mother has stated that she suspects that her son had joined Islamic state.  

Preliminary investigation revealed that Najeeb left the country on August 16. He flew to Dubai from Hyderabad after obtaining a one-month tourist visa from Iranian Consulate. From there he went to Iran. The National Investigation Agency is probing the case and has informed Iran Consulate about the case to find out if he is extending his visa.