Missing Sharda University student Ehtisham Bilal joins ISIS; audio message goes viral

Missing student Ehtisham Bilal, who was pursuing BTech at Sharda University in Greater Noida, has reportedly joined Jundul Khilafah, the Islamic State's (ISIS)'s Kashmir wing.

Ehtisham went missing since Sunday and was last tracked in the sensitive Pulwama district of Kashmir after police took note of his phone calls.

Ehtisham, in an audio message that has now gone viral on social media, has pledged allegiance to ISIS chief, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, reports Kashmir Dispatch.

Ehtisham was reportedly beaten up by several students at Sharda University along with another Kashmiri student. After a fortnight, Ehtisham returned home and has joined the militant ranks.

On Thursday, Ehtisham's father, Bilal Ahmad, a businessman by profession sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K Governor, Satya Pal Malik and former Chief Ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah in helping trace his son.

He pleaded innocence on behalf of his son and said that Ehtisham was the only son he had.

Ehtishama had called home on Sunday evening telling his father that he would board a metro to Noida from Delhi and that his sight-seeing trip had ended.

However, Noida Police said that Ehtisham, in fact, called his father from Srinagar and that his last location, according to the call details, was traced to the volatile Pulwama district of South Kashmir.

The police officials were quoted by The Times of India as saying that Ehtisham had pre-planned his travel to Srinagar and already booked a Go Air flight to Srinagar on October 26.

The Noida Police further said that Ehtisham was also spotted at IGI Airport in New Delhi with the help of CCTV footage.