KOCHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigating the alleged forcible conversion of a Gujarat-settled woman from Pathanamthitta has recorded the arrest of Mohammad Riyas, key accused in the case. According to informed sources, the arrest of Riyas was recorded on Saturday evening and he was produced before the NIA judge at his residence on Sunday. The NIA will be moving a petition seeking custody of Riyas, who has been remanded to judicial custody. The NIA had picked up Riyas from Chennai on his landing from Jeddah via Colombo.

Last month NIA had started an investigation into alleged conversion of the girl, who got into an affair with Riyas while studying for animation course in Bengaluru in Karnataka state. According to the investigation agency, Riyas got into a relationship with the Hindu girl with the intention of converting her to Islam and then ‘selling her to Daesh terrorists in Syria’.

The case was registered against the nine people following a complaint from the 25-year-old woman. She alleged that Mohammed Riyas Rasheed had lured her into taking objectionable pictures, besides illegally confining her. She also said that the accused had married her through deceit by forging documents. Riyas forged documents to get their marriage registered in May 2016. Riyas later took her to Saudi Arabia along with his family in August. She escaped and contacted her family in Gujarat in October in 2016. The woman also alleged that he received funds for such activities.

Besides Riyas, Nahas Abdul Khader of Kannur district, TK Mohammed Nazish of Peringadi, K Abdul Muhasin of Kannur, Danish Najeeb, Moin Patel, Iliyas Mohammed and Gazila of Bengaluru, Fawas Jamal of Peruvaram have been named in the FIR.

The woman, a native of Pathanamthitta who grew up in Gujarat, met Mohammad Riyas in 2014 while studying at a college in Bengaluru.