Radicalisation at the helm again: Islamic terror videos found on Shivamogga stabbing accused

New Delhi, Aug 29: Investigations being conducted in the Shivamogga stabbing case have found that the accused persons had videos of terrorist organisations with them.

The probe relates to the stabbing of a Hindu man in Shivamogga following a poster row that erupted earlier this month. On the basis of these videos, the accused will be questioned and the police will try and ascertain whether their actions were based on directive by Islamic terror groups.

Shivamogga has been on the boil this year. It began with the murder of Hindu leader, Harsha in February. In August one Prem Singh was stabbed and the accused in the case were identified as Nadeem (25), Abdul Rehman (25) and Jabiullah.

Sources tell OneIndia that in all these incidents, the Islamic radicalisation of the accused has come to the fore. "We will question these accused on the basis of the videos that have been found. Our aim would be to ascertain the role these videos had on the crime and whether these persons were acting on their own or at the behest of some international terror group," the source also said.

Singh was stabbed after a row over a poster of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar erupted. The poster was put up at the Ameer Ahmed Circle on August 15. Two groups clashed over installing a poster of Savarkar and Tipu Susan.

Shivamogga has been witness to radicalisation and violent incidents in the past. While the Harsha murder is one such incident, in 2010, a violent clash erupted following an article written by Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen. One person was killed in the incident.

The finding of the video is hardly surprising, explains an official considering the fact that radical elements and terror groups have blended perfectly in these parts of the state of Karnataka.

The NIA, which has been probing most of these incidents, has found that these elements have been radicalised through online propaganda of the Islamic State. They also share close ties with the Islamic radicals from Kerala. In one such probe the NIA found that one Mohammad Ameen from Kerala was running an Islamic State propaganda channel in which calls are made to take up violent jihad. These videos also prescribe a way of life that the Indian Muslims should lead while also prescribing compulsory hijab.

The hijab row too broke out in Karnataka where violent protests were seen after an educational institute banned wearing the scarf in the premises. The matter finally landed in the Karnataka High Court which upheld the ban. The Supreme Court is now seized off the matter.

Shivamogga and a large part of the coast in Karnataka has been witnessing widespread Islamic radicalisation in recent years. In July a Hindu leader Praveen Nettar was murdered in coastal Karnataka. This incident too had led to violence in many parts of the state.

The official cited above explains that this has been the primary modus operandi in these parts of the state. Some are radicalised, thanks to the Islamic State content. They follow what is being told and create communal tensions and later on use that to recruit and radicalise more Muslims youths.