On Saturday, the first reports emerged of more than 21 people, including six couples and children, going missing from various parts of Kerala, with the alleged intention to settle down in a Sharia country. With efforts on by state and national agencies to determine where these 21 people have gone, here are the five latest developments in the case:
1. According to reports, an inter-agency meeting of various intelligence services is being held in Delhi to discuss developments in the case. Sreelekha IPS, ADGP, Kerala Police will represent the investigative forces of the state.
2. Vincent, whose sons Bexen (Isa) and Bestin (Eshia), went missing along with their wives, has attended lectures by controversial religious leader Zakir Naik in Mumbai.
3. Firoz Khan one of the men missing from Trikkarippur was detained on July 10 from a hotel in Dongri in Mumbai. He is presently in the custody of NIA.
4. Police have received information that Kasaragod native Shiyaz and his wife Ajmala first travelled to Kuwait from Bengaluru airport. According to reports, they were the first among the missing 21 to leave the country.
5. Union Minister Kiren Rijju said that there is still no confirmation that the missing people have joined ISIS.
6. Ajmala contacted her father on Monday night. She told him that they have not joined any terror groups, and left country in search of jobs. She also informed him that they have secured jobs and are in search of an apartment to live in.