Nine persons detained by police here after they were deported to India by Turkish authorities while trying to cross over to Syria, parts of which are controlled by terror outfit Islamic State, have been let off after a warning, a top police official said today.
No direct culpability was found on the part of the nine individuals, including five children, Bengaluru Police Commissioner M N Reddi told reporters here after they were questioned by the city police and central agencies.
He said they were not in touch with any "ISIS agent."
"All of them were influenced by what they say is what is ordained in their religious book that they need to go to the Levant region where they are expected to work for humanity or for the religion," he said.
"... And if they are killed or they die in the process of their work they are expected to go to heaven, according to what they say they have been taught or what they interpret their religion," Reddi said.
He said they had been interrogated by both the central agencies and Bangalore city police and "we did not find any direct culpability on part of any of these individuals."
"Therefore, we have not registered any criminal case against them; they have been let off after being spoken to.The two younger members of the group, their families were called from their places and they have been counselled, warned and handed over to their families," he added.
Nine persons whom Turkish authorities had detained at the Turkish border had been identified as Muhammed Abdul Ahad (46) and his family, comprising wife and five children, natives of Chennai, Javeed Baba (24) native of Khammam district, Telangana, and Ibrahim Nowfal (24) of Hassan, Karnataka.
They had reached Istanbul on tourist visas on December 24 last from here and were sent back to India on January 30, by Turkish authorities. On arrival at Bangalore Airport, they were questioned by the City Police.
Ahad has a Masters in Computer Science from Kennedy-Western University, California,U.S.A and worked in U.S for more than 10 years. Javeed and Nowfal are also engineers. All of them are employed in the city.
