ISIS Operative and 17 Others Not Covid-19 Positive, Tihar Jail Tells Delhi Court

Tihar jail officials Friday told a Delhi court that none of 18 inmates, including an alleged ISIS operative, who had reportedly developed symptoms of COVID-19, are found corona positive.

Asif Ali, alleged ISIS operative arrested for conspiring to carry out terror attacks in various parts of the country, had sought medical treatment for himself and others complaining of having COVID-19 sysmptoms.

In its reply, the jail officials told the court that the medical checkup of all the 18 accused persons was conducted and the report came normal.

After the submissions made by the jail officials, the court disposed of the plea, with a direction to take all the necessary precautions and provide treatment as and when required.

Advocate Qausar Khan, appearing for Ali, had told Special Judge Praveen Singh that 18 jail inmates including him had developed symptoms like cough, cold and fever.

He had urged the court to direct Tihar jail authorities to provide proper medical treatment to the accused or send him to a hospital.

The accused was arrested by the NIA in a case lodged in December 2015 for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in various parts of the country.

The NIA had filed a charge sheet against 16 suspected ISIS operatives, arrested from across the country allegedly on the charges of recruiting and financing people to join the terror group.

The probe agency had outlined the role of all the accused in a larger conspiracy of ISIS to further its ideology.

It had claimed that members of banned terror group -- Islamic State (IS) or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) -- in connivance with a few resident and non-resident Indians, have been indulging in identification, radicalization, recruitment, training.

The accused were arrested from different parts of the country for allegedly recruiting and financing people to join the terror organisation.

They were arrested under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC).