Alleged ISIS sympathiser sent to judicial custody

A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday remanded Mohsin Shaikh (37) to judicial custody till July 15, as the investigating agency did not seek his further custody. Mohsin, a resident of Malvani, Malad had allegedly left home to join the ISIS last year but the Delhi police had arrested him and he was brought to Mumbai by the NIA.

On Thursday as soon as special judge V.V. Patil remanded Shaikh to judicial custody, the NIA counsel urged the court to direct the jail authorities to keep him in Taloja jail instead of Arthur Road Central prison, as they fear that he could get team up with co-accused Rizwan Ali (20) and further be a part of some conspiracy.

Rizwan, a resident of Kushi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was picked up from Hyderabad and brought to Mumbai en route Delhi for interrogation.

Advocate Sharif Shaikh, on behalf of Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra however, opposed this application saying both the persons are arrested and in judicial custody they would be kept in separate barracks and hence there is no opportunity for them to meet. Advocate Shaikh also argued that Mohsin is a resident of Malad so it would be easier for his family to meet him in Arthur Road jail during Ramzan.

After hearing arguments judge Patil directed Mohsin to be kept at Arthur Road jail. The NIA has claimed that Mohsin has been involved in instigating and influencing Muslim youths in Malvani area on the instructions of his handlers based in Syria. The police had alleged that he was in touch with the boys and his handlers in Syria through social media and they need to retrieve all the conversations.

The NIA had arrested Mohsin in Delhi in February by the local police and the case was transferred to NIA. While another case was registered in Mumbai NIA against him. The local court had issued a production warrant against him after which he was brought to Mumbai from Delhi.