Assam: IIT Guwahati student linked to ISIS remanded in 10-day STF custody

Tauseef Ali Farooqui, a student at IIT Guwahati, was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court today following his detention on suspicion of having connections with the terrorist group ISIS.

The police, seeking custody for 14 days, presented Farooqui before the court, where he was subsequently remanded to 10-day custody under the Special Task Force (STF).

Earlier in the day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed that one student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has been detained for his ties to the terrorist group ISIS. Sarma revealed that out of two students suspected of allegiance to ISIS, one has already been detained, with plans for the Assam police to apprehend the other today. Both students are reported to have pledged their allegiance to ISIS and have undergone radicalization, according to the Chief Minister.

Expressing deep concern over the situation, Chief Minister Sarma stated that both students are believed to have links with ISIS, originating from Batla House in Delhi.

The recent detention follows the arrest of one of the student Tauseef Ali Farooqui, a final year Biotechnology student at IIT Guwahati, on March 23, by the Assam Police for alleged association with ISIS. This arrest was confirmed by Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh.

The latest detainee, a fourth-year Biotechnology student, had raised red flags through alarming statements on social media and emails indicating intentions to join ISIS. His disappearance from the IIT-Guwahati campus triggered immediate concerns, leading to a widespread search operation.

According to police sources, the student, originally from Delhi, was located in Hajo, approximately 30 km from Guwahati, and promptly detained for interrogation. The revelation of his radicalization and association with ISIS has reverberated through academic circles and law enforcement agencies alike.

This development unfolds against the backdrop of heightened vigilance following the arrest of ISIS India head Haris Farooqi in Dhubri district, allegedly after crossing over from Bangladesh.