ISIS youth's kin told to vacate flat

Mumbai: Residents of Mumbra’s Saif building have asked Tabrez Tambe’s mother and sibling to vacate the 6th floor flat they had been living in on rent following the news of Tabrez (28) joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

It was Tabrez’s younger brother, Saud, who had informed the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) last Thursday that his elder brother, the former, has joined the banned outfit and could be in detention in Libya.

ATS officials had questioned the building’s residents for three days to get clues and, on Monday, when Saud came back to his house to collect some items, a few residents asked him to vacate the house. He then left with a bag for an unknown destination after apologising to them. Sources said the family is currently living somewhere else with acquaintances.  

Tabrez, who was working in Riyadh, is said to have called Saud (26) two days ago and informed him that he had joined ISIS.

Sources said, “By the time every society member came to know that Saud arrived, everyone surrounded him and started asking him questions. Some of them are said to have uttered bad language to him.”

Jumma Khan, a building resident who helped Saud to get the flat, as he was friend of his son, said, “ We were angry with him. For the past two days, the police, ATS and others have been interrogating us and asking several questions as he lived in our building. Because of Saud’s brother, people will look at our children in a bad way. We asked him to leave the society as soon as possible. Saud’s mother, Towhid, didn’t go with him. He was all alone and apologised us several times, but it didn’t work given what his brother had done.”

Another society member said, “Saud had explained that he knew his brother’s nature since childhood. He was very religious, but not on the level on anyone who’d join ISIS. He entered the building around 10 am and left with a bag within an hour.