NIA detains mosque imam in Purba Bardhaman on suspicion of terror links

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday detained the imam of a mosque in Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The case relates to Palishgram village under Mangalkot police station. The imam is suspected of involvement in terror activity.

The detained imam is Mohammad Sheikh, originally from Kulut village in the Monteswar area of the same district. Sources said an NIA team, with the help of local police, conducted a search operation on Tuesday morning at the Purbapara mosque in Palishgram and detained Sheikh. His room was then searched, and the NIA recovered a diary and a mobile phone.

Sources said the agency found several Bangladesh numbers in Sheikh's diary. After questioning, Sheikh was taken from the mosque to Mangalkot police station. NIA officials are trying to extract as much information as possible from him.

Local residents are bewildered by the detention. Speaking to the media, they said Sheikh had been working at the mosque for the past three years. They said any links between him and terror groups in Bangladesh were unthinkable.

However, mosque committee member Gulam Mustafa and some other villagers said the imam often travelled to Bangladesh. According to one villager, he had gone to Bangladesh recently and had returned to Palishgram only a few months ago.

The NIA is investigating alleged sleeper cells in India of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a terror group based in Bangladesh. The raid and search on Tuesday are said to be linked to a case registered in neighbouring Assam. Following the imam's detention, there is talk in the area about where else the NIA will take the investigation.