Tamil Nadu: NIA arrests absconding ISIS terrorist Shihabudeen, accused in SSI Wilson murder case

Special Sub-Inspector(SSI) Wilson(Left)

The National Investigation Agency has arrested the sixth accused ISIS terrorists in connection with the brutal murder of Special Sub-Inspector A Wilson. The 39-year-old Shihabudeen (alias Sirajudeen and Khalid), a resident of Chennai, was arrested from the Chennai airport on his arrival from Qatar on Wednesday. He had been absconding since January 2020.

Based on a lookout circular, immigration authorities had detained Shihabudeen. He was later arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Except for Shihabudeen, all of the other terrorists who were involved in the murder have been arrested earlier.

In a press release, NIA said the suspect, absconding since January, allegedly arranged the illegal firearm and prohibited ammunition, used by Abdul Shameem and Thowfeek, for killing the police officer who was on duty at the check-post in Kanniyakumari district on January 8, 2020.

NIA files charge-sheet in the murder case of Tamil Nadu cop SSI Wilson, names 6 ISIS terrorists

The agency had on July 10 filed a charge-sheet mentioning Abdul Shameem, Y Thowfeek, Khaja Mohideen, Mahboob Pasha, Ejas Pasha & Jaffar Ali as the accused in the Wilson murder case and had charged them under sections 120B, 302, 353 and 506 (ii) read with 34 of IPC, sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, and sections 25(1B)(a) and 27 of the Arms Act.

Investigation reveals murderers were “self-declared jihadists” who killed the cop to avenge the arrest of their ISIS associates

After taking over from the Tamil Nadu Police, the NIA re-registered the case on February 1, 2020, and arrested two suspects, Abdul Shameem and Thoufeek. The preliminary investigation in the murder of SSI Wilson had revealed that his murderers were “self-declared jihadists” who killed the police personnel to avenge the arrest of their ISIS associates—Mohammed Haneef Khan (29), Imran Khan (32) and Mohammed Zaid (24) by the Tamil Nadu police in Bengaluru in January 2020.

In response to the arrest of their ISIS colleagues in Bengaluru, the terrorists had shot Wilson the following day at the Padanthalumoodu check-post at Kaliyakkavilai in Tamil Nadu.

According to the police, Shameem had been on the run after procuring bail recently in the murder case of a Hindu Munnani leader in 2014.

The assailants were arrested on January 15, 2020, and it was revealed that the attack was carried out to avenge the arrest of their colleagues and to instil terror in the minds of people. The NIA re-registered a case against the attackers on February 1, 2020, and took over the investigation from Tamil Nadu police.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia