Kerala ISIS Radicalization Case: Mother and Terror Convict's Attempt to Indoctrinate 16-Year-Old Boy Exposed

An NDTV investigation has revealed concerning details about the alleged ISIS indoctrination attempt of a 16-year-old Kerala boy by his mother and associates. The case uncovers a troubling radicalization effort involving a former terror convict previously investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The teenager had been living in London where both his parents worked as nurses. According to police, when he resisted adopting their extremist mindset, he was sent to Kerala from London.

The boy was subsequently brought to a madrassa in Thiruvananthapuram by Siddique, a convicted terrorist, as confirmed by Ustad Ahmad, a teacher at Almiya Academy. Ahmad stated that based on his conversations with the child, Siddique had performed 'nikah' (Islamic marriage) with Fidha Mohammed Ali, the boy's mother. Police sources have corroborated this information.

Investigations revealed that Siddique had entered this relationship despite already having a wife and children. However, when confronted, Siddique denied having married Fidha, claiming his actions were solely to provide assistance to her.

Kerala Police previously identified two primary suspects: Anzar, currently residing in Leicester, UK, who is Siddique's brother, and Fidha, the boy's mother. The police FIR describes Anzar as an ISIS member who allegedly exposed the teenager to graphic ISIS execution videos and attempted to foster religious hostility.

According to Ahmad, the child disclosed that both Siddique and Anzar hold extremist views, and he was uncomfortable with their interference in his life. "The boy told me Anzar has extremist ideology and he has no interest in maintaining contact with either Siddique or Anzar. He expressed dislike for both, saying they interfere more than his mother. The child also mentioned his mother was formerly Christian," Ahmad revealed.

Shafi Naqvi, Chairman of Almiya Academy, confirmed the boy resided at the madrassa for approximately two months from July 3 to August 29. Siddique, who brought him there and visited frequently, was responsible for the child. Notably, Fidha never visited the madrassa, claiming she remained in the UK.

"We were completely shocked. This was entirely unexpected. We never anticipated such a situation. I now believe the mother was deceiving us about being in the UK. We were unaware that Siddique had been previously convicted in an NIA case. I only discovered this two days ago and was stunned," Naqvi added.

The case emerged when the boy's uncle removed him from the madrassa and approached the police.

Kerala Director General of Police Ravada Azad Chandrashekhar confirmed there was an attempt to radicalize the boy in London, but he was sent back after refusing to embrace their ideology.

"There are allegations they influenced him and attempted to radicalize him into adopting ISIS ideology. When he refused, he was sent back. He and his uncle filed a complaint at Vingaramudu police station. We've registered a case under UAPA, and investigation is underway. We're in the preliminary stages of investigation. Some searches have been conducted and certain digital items recovered, which are being forensically examined," the senior officer explained.

NDTV's investigation of Siddique's family confirmed he was already married to another woman with whom he has two children. Previous reports indicated Siddique was convicted in the 2016 Kanakamala ISIS conspiracy case. His brother Anzar was under surveillance during that investigation but wasn't charged as he was living in Ukraine at that time, according to sources.

Kerala Police believe this case may indicate a broader network, with initial evidence suggesting sleeper cells connected to the terror group could be operating in various parts of the state.