(Image source from: The Cullman Times)

The Coimbatore police have arrested five men based on a tip-off that they were plotting to kill Hindu Munnani leader Arjun Sampath and Sakthi Sena leader Anbu Mari.

Following the arrest, the police claimed that one of the men confessed to being a 'secret member of ISIS' (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). All five of them have been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) under sections that refer to terrorism and terrorist activity.

The police, in a press release on Sunday, stated that the Inspector of the B-3 station in Coimbatore acted on a tip-off that a man called Aashik and his four friends were planning to do something sinister to Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath and Sakthi Sena leader Anbu Mari. The message received by the reported inspector said that the group was arriving in Coimbatore from Chennai, and hence the police rushed to the Coimbatore Junction railway station to nab them.

Four men - Ismail (25), Salauddin (25), Sadik Ali (29) and Shamsuddin (20) from Chennai, apart from Aashik were picked up by the police from the railway station for questioning.

The police in their statement said that the men confessed that they were "familiar with Arjun Sampath since he is a popular television personality." The police said that the men confessed that Aashik had shared Anbu Mari's pictures with them, and asked them to come to Coimbatore to attack them.

"Ismail also told the police that a few others are also involved in this operation and that he is a secret member of the ISIS, and a few persons involved in the plan belong to National League Party, and that they all have a similar outlook on ISIS," read the statement.

The police arrested them on Saturday and seized six cell phones and Aashik's two-wheeler. Aashik also surrendered five sickles, the police said.

"Since the intention of these people was to promote religious hatred between people of two faiths, cause law and order problems, disturbance in religious harmony and in the unity and security of the country, cases have been registered," the police statement said.

According to press release, they have been booked under sections 143 (Punishment for unlawful assembly) and 120(B) (Punishment of Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC and sections 15 (Terrorist Act), 16 (Punishment for Terrorist Act), 18 (Punishment for Conspiracy), 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organization) and 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organization) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on September 1.

The five accused have been remanded to judicial custody and are lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison till September 4.

The officers from the National Investigation Agency will also be investigating the accused on their alleged links with ISIS, the police said.

By Sowmya Sangam