News Brief
Shivamogga ISIS Module: NIA Questions Senior Congress Leader Kimmane Rathnakar Over Rs 10 Lakh Deposit In Account Linked To Family Of Terror Accused
Swarajya Staff
Jan 16, 2023, 11:03 AM | Updated 11:03 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Officials from National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate have questioned senior Congress leader and former Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar after investigations established that a deposit of Rs 10 lakh was made in bank account of the grandmother of Mohammed Shariq, a terror suspect in the Mangaluru cooker blast case.
The Congress leader claimed that the money was deposited as part of a lease agreement for a building in the Thirthahalli area of Shivamogga in Karnataka. Shariq's father Abdul Majid owns the building where the Congress party office is located.
Rathnakar, a former legislator representing the Thirthahalli constituency was questioned by the NIA since the agreement for the lease of the building was signed by his close relative.
Rathnakar however denied any connection with Majid, except for the party office rental agreement. "The party has an eight year rental agreement under which a deposit of Rs 10 lakh and a monthly rent of Rs 1000 is paid to the landlord," he told the local media.
Rathnakar has stated that his relationship with Shariq’s family is only that of a tenant and landlord in an agreement that ends in June this year.
According to NIA, Shariq and others “hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State and to disturb the unity, security, and sovereignty of the country and wage war against India.”
Incidentally, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, who was arrested in the blast case of September 2022, and Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taha, accused in the Al Hind Islamic State Bengaluru terror module case, are also natives of Thirthahalli.
NIA conducts searches at 06 locations and arrests 02 operatives in connection with Shivamogga ISIS Conspiracy Case pic.twitter.com/ZZoFAVUCth
— NIA India (@NIA_India) January 6, 2023
On January 5, 2023, NIA arrested two other ISIS operatives, Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh of Udupi District and Huzair Farhan Baig of Shivamogga District. Reshann Shekih is the son of Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh.
NIA conducted a search operation at six locations across Karnataka in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case that led to the arrest of two suspected ISIS Operatives.
Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh and Huzair Farhan Baig are suspected of acquired funding through Cryto-wallets from ISIS handlers to promote terror activities in parts of Karnataka.
As per NIA, Maaz Muneer, a close associate and collegemate of Resshan Thajuddin, radicalised him.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.