New Delhi: Haris Farooqi, the India head of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was arrested along with one of his associates in Assam’s Dhubri district on Wednesday after they crossed over from Bangladesh. The duo was apprehended from the Dharmasala area by the Special Task Force (STF) following a tip-off, according to Assam Police Chief Public Relations Officer Pranabjyoti Goswami.
They were later brought to the STF office in Guwahati, Goswami said in a statement.
“Based on specific input, two top-rung leaders of ISIS in India were apprehended from the Dharmasala area of Dhubri Sector and brought to the STF office in Guwahati. The accused are also wanted accused of NIA,” Goswami said.
According to police, the identity of both of them was ascertained and it was found that accused Haris Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi of Chakrata, Dehradun is the head of ISIS in India.
His associate Anurag Singh alias Rehan of Panipat got converted to Islam, while his wife is a Bangladeshi national.
“Both of them are highly indoctrinated and motivated leaders/members of ISIS in India. They had furthered the cause of ISIS in India through conspiracies to carry out recruitment, terror funding and terror acts using IEDs at several places across India,” the CPRO said.
He further said that several cases are pending against them at NIA, Delhi, ATS and Lucknow among other places.
“STF, Assam, will hand over the accused to NIA for taking up further legal actions against these fugitives,” the police official said.
Goswami said information was received from sister agencies that two top-rung leaders of ISIS in India, who were camping in Bangladesh, would cross over to the country at the Dhubri sector to carry out sabotage activities.
Based on the input, a team was deputed to locate and apprehend them.
“A manhunt was launched in the international border area to nab the culprits. At around 4:15 am of March 20, the accused persons were detected at Dharmasala area of Dhubri after they had crossed the international border,” he added.
Following the arrests, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X and thanked state police for prompt action.
