Kerala Police urges NIA probe into ISIS recruitment of 16-year-old boy

Kerala Police Chief has recommended transferring a UAPA case involving the attempted ISIS recruitment of a 16-year-old to the NIA. The teen escaped indoctrination, and authorities seek a deeper probe into potential digital, cross-border, and ideological links

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant development, Kerala Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar has recommended to the State government that the case involving alleged attempts to recruit a 16-year-old boy into ISIS be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The State police chief has formally sought the State government’s approval to transfer the investigation, citing the gravity of the allegations and the case’s national security implications.

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The case, currently investigated under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was initially registered at Venjaramoodu Police Station in the state capital district.

According to the complaint, the woman — originally from Pathanamthitta — and her second husband from Vembayam had converted to another religion after marriage and later attempted to indoctrinate her son from her first marriage.

Presently, the couple is based here, and the police have registered a case under UAPA against them.

The investigation is presently led by the Attingal Deputy Superintendent of Police. With the case falling under anti-terror laws and having potential cross-border elements — including suspected ideological indoctrination via propaganda videos — the police chief has asserted that a specialised national agency is better positioned to probe the matter comprehensively.

Given the seriousness of the allegations, the NIA has already begun a preliminary inquiry.

The move indicates the seriousness with which state law enforcement is treating the incident, which is being viewed as a rare case involving attempted terror recruitment within a family environment.

Once the State government grants approval, the case is expected to be formally transferred to the NIA for deeper investigation, including the possible digital, international, and ideological links involved.

The teenager, who reportedly escaped from a religious study center where he was allegedly being influenced, is currently under the protection of his biological father’s relatives.

Officials believe that an NIA-led probe could help uncover whether the incident was part of a wider network or an isolated case, and could potentially lead to a larger inquiry into radicalisation efforts targeting minors.