Madhya Pradesh Police have claimed to have busted what could be the first Islamic State module in India.
Five men arrested from Ratlam in April are reportedly associated with an Isis-linked cell. The leader, Imran Khan Muhammad Sharif, was recruited by an Indian who is fighting with the Islamic State, police sources told The Indian Express.
The five men were allegedly planning terror strikes in India.
If the claims turn out to be true, this could be the Islamic State's first module in India, where it has already caused security concerns by inspiring youths to leave their homes and fight with the terror group.
Scores of Indian youths have left for Iraq and Syria over the last year, to fight alongside the Islamic State militants.
Sharif sought advice from an Indian jihadist fighting in the Islamic State to build bombs and select targets, according to the report.
Muhammad Shafi Armar, a Karnataka-born jihadist known by his code name Yusuf, recruited Khan online to lead the cell, investigators who analysed his Internet and chat conversations said.
Yusuf is said to be leading the Indian fighters in the Islamic State. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory will analyse Khan's computer, the report said.
Khan is said to have made contact with the Isis fighter through Facebook pages and discussion forums, much the same way as how several other Indian youths were brainwashed by the terror group.
Last year, the Islamic State released a propaganda video with Hindi and Tamil subtitles in a clear attempt to recruit youths from India.
An engineering graduate from Hyderabad, who recently died 'while fighting in Syria', was also reportedly radicalised through social media.
Shami Witness, one of the most popular Isis-affiliated Twitter accounts, was being run by a Bengaluru-based engineer, who was arrested in December.
India declared a ban on the Islamic State soon after the arrest.
