5 of 15 Muslims missing from Kerala had converted to Islam recently

July 10, 2016

Kasaragod, Jul 10: Five of the 15 missing Muslims from Kerala who are feared to have joined the Islamic State (IS) were Hindus and Christians who had converted to Islam about a year ago.

1couple

Fathima Nimisha who went missing with her husband Eesa who were feared to have joined in IS terror group

Meanwhile, intelligence sources said one of those missing was in Afghanistan, while another was hiding in India.

Among the five married couples who are missing, two were earlier Hindus or Christians.

— Nimisha, alias Fathima, from a Hindu family in Thiruvananthapuram, converted to Islam while studying at a dental college in Kasaragod district in November last year.

— Merlin, alias Mariyam, from Kochi was a Christian who converted to Islam while working with IBM in Mumbai last year.

— Nimisha and Merlin were married to two brothers, Issa and Yahiya, from Palakkad who had both converted from Christianity to Islam. Their father, Vincent, filed a missing person's complaint on Saturday.

— Sonia, alias Ayisha, an engineering graduate — who is missing with her husband Abdul Rasheed, an engineer, and their two-year-old daughter Sara — was a Christian who converted to Islam about a year ago.

Nimisha's mother, Bindu, said her daughter first went missing from her college last November. After she filed a police complaint, Nimisha and Issa appeared before a local court. “I was shocked to see her covering her face. I was told that she had been converted to Islam by some Mujahideen group,'' she said.

Nimisha's family moved a habeas corpus petition in the high court in November. But the court allowed her to live with Issa. “I asked my daughter how she met Issa as he was not her classmate or friend. I was told that her seniors in college arranged the match, that they wanted a converted youth to marry a converted girl. They had become friends just four days before they started living together,'' she said.

At first, Nimisha did not contact her family. But she later got in touch, and even visited her mother in the second week of May. “After spending a few hours with the family, she left for Palakkad. Later, I was told that they were going to Sri Lanka to explore some business opportunities. I pleaded with Issa not to go there with my pregnant daughter, but he refused to listen. After reaching Sri Lanka, she sent me WhatsApp messages,'' said Bindu.

Jacob, the father of another missing woman, Merlin, said his daughter and Yahiya had studied together in a school in Kochi. “After graduation, my daughter got a job with IBM in Mumbai. During college, she was not in touch with Yahiya, who was then a Christian. Last year, after converting to Islam, he managed to track down her in Mumbai and converted her also,'' he said.

He said Merlin told him that they were going to Sri Lanka to address religious gatherings. “We discouraged them from going to Lanka. She was a brilliant girl. We thought she would not fall into any trap. We had warned her about this relationship. She was brainwashed. For the last three weeks, we have received no information about her,'' he said.

Sonia, whose family is from Vyttila in Kochi, was born in Bahrain, where her parents were employed. She came to Kerala for her engineering studies, during which she met Abdul Rashid, a resident of Kasaragod.

According to sources, Sonia was not in touch with her family after she converted to Islam. Intelligence sources said Sonia had become a preacher, while Rashid is suspected to be the local organiser of the missing group from Kasaragod.

Meanwhile, at Padanna in Kasaragod, two brothers, Dr Ijas and Shihab, an engineer, and their wives are among those missing. Their father, Abdul Rahim, told the media that if they had joined the Islamic State he would “consider them as dead”.

Two other families in Kasaragod also filed missing complaints after their sons, who were working in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, failed to reach home. Police said the youths had called up their families on June 9, informing them that would reach home in a week. “The families expected that they would come for Eid last week. The reports about missing men made them worried. Hence, they filed complaints today,'' said police sources.

Comments

Rajesh Sequira
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Jul 2016

The plot thickens.....

Maruthi
 - 
Monday, 11 Jul 2016

ALL is now understood.........................................................................BJP= high rise in scams and problems . violence and trouble in cabinet reshuffling.......Dr.Zakir Naik issue (which was unnecessary link)

in KERALA people are more attracted to ISLAM.......So ISIS issue ...that too New Muslims

Ha Ha ....

THINKERS
 - 
Monday, 11 Jul 2016

Dear Yogesh,
Study ISLAM, you will understand the media twist... Dont live as per media instruction ... sometimes verify and use your intellect.

Also Ponder on NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI>..

abdullah
 - 
Monday, 11 Jul 2016

It clearly understood that RSS people with the help of Israel making all these controversies to avoid people from converting to Islam.

True commentator
 - 
Monday, 11 Jul 2016

Dear Yogesh,
There are thousand of people from both the sex are converting to Islam, after they fully study it.
Then these highly educated people really work as propagators than the initially borned Muslims.

You should compare how many of them have joined IS or became terrorists. In contrary those people worked as the peace propagators than anybody.

So your addressing of these 15 Keralite have not studied Islam well.
Unfortunately the young brain have been mislead to join IS which is not at all portraying ISLAMIC values. In contrary IS is the enemy of Islam and enemy of all peace loving community.

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

karkala.jpg

Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.