Updated: April 7

Bhatkal, Apr 7 (Agencies): 34-year-old Ismail Rawoof Ahmed, who was detained on Tuesday in Pune by NIA investigators, suspecting him of being an ‘Islamic State recruiter’, has been released. Ismail’s detention could have been a case of ‘mistaken identity’, a said senior government official said in New Delhi.

Ismail’s father, Abdul Rawoof, said that he received a call from his son around 11 pm on Wednesday that he had been released and was in Mumbai, reports The Hindu.

Ismail was detained at the Pune airport on Tuesday, as he was leaving the country and flying to Dubai for onward journey to Syria.

Officials had identified him as Rawoof Ahmed, a resident of Bhatkal in north Karnataka. “The person detained at the Pune airport also had Rawoof in his name and since he is from Bhatkal,the intelligence agencies could have mistaken him for a terror suspect," The Hindu reports the official as saying.

Security agencies have been keeping a strict vigil after his name cropped up during internet chats with members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is being monitored by sleuths to look for possible followers of the terror group, active in parts of Syria and Iraq.

They said Ahmed was detained as the Union Home Ministry had issued a Look Out Circular against him sometime back.

At least 14 youths have been arrested early this year by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as part of its probe on indoctrination of youths by the banned terror group.

With inputs from PTI

Earlier:

Bhatkal: 'My son is innocent, knows nothing about ISIS': Ismail Rawoof's father

Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal

Updated

Bhatkal, Apr 6: Abdul Rawoof, the father of 34-year-old Ismail Musab Rawoof who was arrested by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) at Pune airport for alleged links with ISIS, has denied that his son had anything to do with the dreaded terror organization and asserted that his son was innocent.

Speaking to reporters here a day after the arrest, Rawoof said, "We do not have any information about his arrest. We came to know of it only through the media and people. At around 1.10 am he called us saying he had been stopped at the airport as they found something in his luggage and he was going to Mumbai. We have been told that meat was found in his luggage and it had been sent for testing to Mumbai.

"My son is innocent and knows nothing about ISIS. He has studied only till 8th standard and has no knowledge of computers or the internet. He uses a basic phone. All these allegations are false. They are trying to frame him. My son will never involve in anything illegal. I urge the government to get him released at the earliest," he said.

"He had been to Dubai before his marriage and now after 10 months he was going again for job. I myself dropped him to Pune by bus," he said.

Asked why he had booked the ticket to Dubai from Pune, he said, "Ticket from Goa and Mangaluru were expensive, whereas it was cheaper from Pune. So he booked the flight from there."

Ismail, suspected to be an IS recruit, was arrested by the NIA at the Pune airport while he was about to fly to Syria via Dubai to join the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said. He was detained after the union home ministry issued a 'look out circular' against him some time back, they said.

Earlier:

NIA arrests 34-year-old IS recruit from Bhatkal at Pune airport

New Delhi, Apr 6 (IANS):  A 34-year-old man was on Tuesday detained by the NIA at the Pune airport while he was about to fly to Syria via Dubai to join the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said.

Ismail Musab Abdul Rawoof, who hailed from Bhatkal in Karnataka, was detained at the airport by sleuths of the National Investigation Agency.

Security agencies were keeping a strict vigil after his name cropped up in internet chats with IS members. The chats are being monitored by sleuths to look for possible followers of the terror group.

Officials said he was detained after the union home ministry issued a 'look out circular' against him some time back.

Over 20 people have been arrested by the NIA this year as part of its probe on indoctrination of youths by the terror outfit.