53 ‘jihadis’ arrested since March: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the assembly on Saturday that foreign nationals are involved in alleged ‘jihadi’ activities in the state.
As many as 53 alleged ‘jihadis’, including one from Bangladesh, have been arrested in Assam since March, he told the house in a written reply. He said another five from Bangladesh are on the run.
In reply to a question by BJP legislator Teros Gowala, Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, said since March, nine cases have been registered in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Tamulpur and Nalbari districts. He said these seven districts have been the sources of alleged ‘jihadi’ activities in Assam.
He said a Bangladeshi national, Saiful Islam alias Haroon Rashid alias Suman, was arrested in connection with a case registered in Barpeta police station. Sarma said he was engaged as an ‘imam’ of a mosque in Barpeta and was also working as an Arabic teacher in an Islamic academy there. He was distributing booklets related to jihadis and was encouraging Muslims to get involved in ‘jihadi’ activities through his speeches.
He said the five other people absconding in alleged ‘jihadi’ cases were influencing Muslim youths through their speeches in different mosques. Moreover, he said two women from Morigaon and Dhubri have also been arrested for their alleged involvement in ‘jihadi’ activities.