The ISIS-linked Kerala journalist from Palakkad had contacted his friends and relatives in July, according to the latest reports from the South Indian state.
The journalist, who was a reporter in a Malayalam daily, joined ISIS last year, according to the state intelligence department. The investigation started after a tip-off was received from central agencies.
The friends and relatives of the journalist have now been put under the scanner, with the investigators initiating a strict vigil on social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, according to Manorama Online.
The youth was reportedly attracted to terrorist organisations ever since he finished schooling. He was a Sociology graduate and later worked as a reporter in Palakkad in a Malayalam newspaper.
Later, he asked for a transfer in order to work for the Gulf edition of the same daily. However, after working in Dubai for a while, he left for Syria to join the ISIS.
Though earlier reports claimed that the youth joined the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra front, recent reports have confirmed that he joined the Raqqa-based ISIS.
Thirteen Indian nationals have reportedly joined ISIS over the last one year, of which six were killed, while seven are still fighting with the militant outfit.
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