ISIS Indian chief’s aide hails from Panipat’s Diwana village

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, March 21

One of the ISIS agents, who was arrested by STF in Assam’s Dhubri district on Wednesday for entering India from Bangladesh by crossing the border, was a resident of Panipat’s Diwana village and an official in the Indian Railways.

Intelligence agencies and the local police also tried to get details about the ISIS agent, Anurag Singh alias Rehan, an aide of ISIS chief in India Haris Farooqui alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi of Chakrata in Dehradun. Scores of mediapersons also reached the village.

As per the statement of the Assam Police Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) Pranabjyoti Goswami, both have been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) following a tip-off while they were entering India illegally.

In Diwana, the villagers were shocked when they heard about the arrest of Anurag Singh. However, no one was ready to comment on the family. As per intelligence sources, Anurag belongs to a farmer family of Diwana village.

However, his mother along with Anurag and his elder brother Chirag shifted to Sonepat for their education. Anurag’s father Manbir Singh was an advocate and was electrocuted in 1992, sources added.

As per sources, the family had around nine acres in the village and a house, which has been rented out.

Both brothers got selected in central government jobs — Anurag Singh in Indian Railways and Chirag in the Union Ministry for Steel. Sources said their mother was living with Chirag in Delhi. A villager said they come to the village rarely and no one knows when Anurag married a Bangladeshi woman and converted to Islam.

Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Superintendent of Police, said the NIA is investigating the matter. Prima facie, it has come to the fore that Anurag was a resident of Diwana village, he said.

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