The news came to light after a missing persons complaint was filed on August 6 by Abdul Majeed, a businessman who runs lodges at several places in Mumbai. 

After investigation, it was found that his 26-year-old son Ashfaque Ahmed had left the country along with his wife, infant daughter and two cousins–Mohammed Siraj (22), a businessman, and Ejaz Rehman (30), a medical practitioner, to join the ISIS, reported The Times Of India.

The report further says that Ashfaque had informed his youngest brother of his intentions to stay in Islamic State territory. He had received a message on his mobile phone in June from Ashfaque saying that he had migrated to IS territory and did not want to come back. The last line of the message read, “take care of mother and father”.

Meanwhile, Abdul Majeed in his FIR has said that Mohammed Hanif, a Kerala school teacher who travelled to Syria with his son Ashfaque, was the one who ‘instigated’ and ‘brainwashed’ his son to join IS.

After Majeed’s complaint, Hanif was taken into custody from Panur on August 14 for his role in this matter and also for reportedly influencing 11 others of the 21 people from Kerala who are suspected to have joined ISIS.