Missing Keralites: Preacher taken into custody

Kannur: An Islamic preacher has been taken into custody from nearby Panur for his alleged links with the missing case of Keralites from some parts of the state, police said on Saturday.

The man had taken classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, they said.

"We have taken a person into custody. Verification is on. As of now, we cannot conclude if he has any links with IS," Kannur District Police Chief Kori Sanjaykumar Gurudin told PTI.

Mohammed Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wynad was taken into custody from Panur last night, police said.

A Mumbai police team is also in Kannur and are verifying if he was the one against whom a case had also been registeredin Mumbai, they added.

Hanif is reported to have worked as preacher in various places, police said.

On August 8, police had said of the 21 persons who went gone missing from the state, 17 were from Kasaragod and fourfrom Palakkad.

They include four women and three children. Their disappearance came to light last month after the families approached officials in Kasaragod.