Two men detained by NIA over terror charges

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two men from a village in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district in connection with alleged terror activities.

According to police, a team of NIA sleuths from Kerala were camped in Erode over the last few days. On Tuesday afternoon, they detained Asif (36) and his roommate, whose identity could not be ascertained, from Doddampalayam village near Bhavanisagar. The two men have been taken to Kochi in Kerala for further interrogation.

The police said NIA officials took Asif and his friend into custody from a rented house in the village. Asif was said to be working in a dhaba (mess) nearby.

The NIA had earlier registered a case against Asif under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Thrissur, Kerala over charges of stealing money from ATMs and utilising the cash for ”anti-national activities”.

Officials of the central probe agency came to Erode to trace the whereabouts of the accused.

Police also said Asif was living in the house in the village for the last nine months, but did not open up to many people in the locality.