NIA yet to crack puzzle on ‘ISIS gun’ that killed SSI
CHENNAI: The NIA investigators are yet to unravel the origin of the Italian gun used by the ISIS TN module to kill SSI Y Wilson in January 2020 on the Kanniyakumari-Kerala border.
The investigation so far had revealed that one of the accused — Sirajuddin alias Shihabudeen — had collected funds, arms and ammunition from Khaja Moideen, the head of TN module of ISIS, and transferred the arms and ammunition to Ejas Pasha in Mumbai, Maharashtra. These weapons so transferred were further used for the killing of Wilson. How Khaja Moideen got possession of the gun is still unclear to investigators.
The particular gun was used by terror suspects A Abdul Shameem and M Thoufique who stabbed and gunned down the SSI at the checkpost in Kaliyakkavilai Market Road in Kanniyakumari on the night of January 8, 2020, to take revenge for the police action against ISIS operative Khaja Moideen.
The NIA had arrested and charge-sheeted seven persons including Khaja Moideen in connection with the murder of Wilson.
The last charge sheet was filed on July 2 before NIA Special Court, Poonamallee, against accused S Shihabudeen alias Sirajudeen
of Coimbatore, who was arrested on January 6, this year.
The investigation revealed that accused Shihabudeen was a member of the Al-Hind module of ISIS formed by Khaja Moideen and Mehboob Pasha which was formed with an intention to establish Khilafat or Islamic Rule in India, NIA believes.
Though Shihabudeen had taken the gun from Khaja Moideen and delivered it to Pasha and the weapon was later given to Shameem and Thoufique who killed Wilson, the NIA is yet to find out how Moideen was in possession of the gun. The agency may seek custody of Khaja Moideen to solve the gun puzzle.
The Italian gun (7.65 mm pistol) used to kill the SSI was abandoned by the two suspects in Kochi Kerala while they were on the run after the murder and the weapon was recovered from drainage near Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand later by the investigators.