The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday, January 3, raided the house of BM Basha, son of former Ullal MLA late BM Idinabba, and arrested Basha's daughter-in-law Deepthi Marla alias Mariam for suspected ISIS links, police sources said. Krisha Kumar, DSP, Assistant Investigating Officer, NIA, Delhi along with Ajay Singh PI and Monika Dhikwal, arrested Mariam, who is the wife of Anas Abdul Rahiman, the son of Basha.

NIA officials had earlier raided the house of Basha in August 2021. After holding an inquiry for two days, they arrested Amar Abdul Rehman, another son of Basha. The officials had suspicion over Mariam's ISIS links during the raid last year. Though the NIA interrogated Mariam for two days during last year's raid, they had not arrested her. The agency, however, had been monitoring her movements since then.

Deepthi Marla, who belongs to Karnataka’s Kodagu district, fell in love with Anas while studying BDS at a college in Deralakatte in Mangaluru. Later, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Mariam.

It is suspected that she has connections with terrorist outfit ISIS and militants in Jammu and Kashmir. NIA officials carried out investigations about Mariam on the suspicion that she is involved in a racket to recruit youths to the ISIS network, sources said.

In a statement, the NIA said that it had conducted searches and arrested 11 accused persons “for raising funds, radicalizing and motivating people to join ISIS.”

“During investigation, it has been revealed that after the decline of ISIS Caliphate in Syria/Iraq, Deepthi marla and Mohd. Ameen had visited Kashmir in January and March 2020 for Hijrah (Religious migration) and for engaging in terrorist acts and supporting the activities of ISIS. Investigation has also revealed that Deepthi Marla was the kingpin of the instant ISIS conspiracy along with Mohd Ameen,” the NIA wrote in a statement, adding that further investigation in the case is underway.