Another youth missing from Kerala, no terror links confirmed yet

Amidst concerns over disappearance of 21 youths from Kerala who are suspected to have joined terror outfit Islamic State, another young man from the district has gone missing under mysterious circumstances.

Abdulla Haris, 21, a native of Adhur, had been missing for the last six months and his relatives lodged a police complaint in this regard on Sunday.

However, police said they have no evidence so far to connect his disappearance with other missing persons.

A Class XII-drop out, Abdulla had joined an institution in Trikaripur in the district for religious studies a year ago and later went to Kochi for working in a mobile shop.

“As per the complaint by his relatives, Abdulla did not complete his religious studies in Trikaripur. He did not come back home either after discontinuing his studies there,” Adur Inspector of Police Sibi Thomas said.

Later, the youth called his parents and said he was in Kochi and working in a mobile shop.

He came home in December but there was no contact from him for the last six months, Thomas said.

“We have already begun investigation to trace the missing youth. But we have got nothing to connect his missing with the disappearance of some other youths from the district, who were alleged to have joined the IS,” he said, adding they would probe whether Abdulla had any links with them.

The police said of the 21 youths who have gone missing from the state, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children. Their disappearance came to the fore last month after the families approached local officials.