Navi Mumbai on high alert after ISIS messages with ‘Dhoni’, ‘Kejriwal’ names appear on bridge pillar: Report

The Navi Mumbai Police has put on high alert after messages in praise of the terror group Islamic State (IS) appeared on one of the pillars of a bridge on Tuesday, according to a report. "The messages or inscription drawn below the bridge mentions names of (Arvind) Kejriwal and (MS) Dhoni and also (Abu Bakr al) Baghdadi," IndiaToday TV quoted Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar saying.

The report added that the messages written on the pillar of Khopte Bridge in Navi Mumbai's Uran area of Raigad district praises soldiers fighting for the ISIS and mentioned names the organisation’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other terrorists. One of the messages also mentions the name of Hafeez Saeed. Images of rockets are drawn in another, the report added.

"We have collected all possible evidence from the spot which includes beer bottles, mugs and other things. Locals have told us that the spot is frequented by youngsters to consume alcohol but we are investigating every possible angle to find out who could have drawn the inscription," Sanjay Kumar told the news channel.

Last month, the Islamic State terror group claimed to have established a new "province" in India, the first of its kind announcement that came after clashes between militants and security forces in Kashmir on May 10.

The Arabic name of the new branch is "Wilayah of Hind" (India Province), the dreaded terror outfit, (also known as ISIS and ISIL), said through its Amaq News Agency.

A senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer has rejected the claim.

In January, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested nine people from Thane and Aurangabad for their alleged links with banned terror outfit ISIS. The nine terror suspects, all part of a group, were nabbed by ATS teams over two days. The ATS, acting on specific inputs, kept a watch on the nine men for several weeks and gathered relevant information about them, he said. They were arrested when it came to light that they were likely to "swing into action", an official said. 

The arrests followed searches in Amrut Nagar, Kausa, Moti Baug and Almas Colony areas in Thane's Mumbra township and in Aurangabad's Kaisar Colony, Rahat Colony and Damdi Mahal areas.