Mumbai : Sources in National Investigation Agency (NIA) said while Majeed and three other youths were paid about $100 a month each, many foreign fighters were given 10 to 20 times more than them. Majeed and his three friends had spent around Rs 60,000 each to travel to Iraq to join ISIS with hope that they would also receive handsome perks for fighting for the militant group.
“He was upset with the kind of money given to him. He had gone there believing that he too would be offered a huge sum, but was disappointed when he got a meager amount,” said an officer privy to the investigation.
Sources said that monthly remuneration of $1000 or more was given to those recruits who would fight with ISIS on Syrian frontline. Majeed also learnt that some women recruits too were paid more than him, which further upset him.
“He and his friends were not sent in the combat zone, as they were not properly trained in arms handling and fighting in war like conditions,” the official said adding Majeed was hence given odd jobs. He was trained in arms handling for few days and shot city dwellers for ISIS.
Sources said that Majeed had questioned the disparity, but was not entertained by ISIS ranks. Officials said poor payment and no chance given to fight in the combat zone had upset Majeed who decided to come back after he sustained bullet injuries.
Earlier, reports had said that ISIS paid good salaries to their recruits because they had looted $1.2 billion from banks in Mosul, Iraq and also had under their control some oil wells. They also used “zakat”, a form of tax, for making payments to the recruits.
Meanwhile, various investigation teams are still searching for the Panvel professor who they suspect was involved in radicalising Majeed. The NIA is also trying to get details of other people who are involved in radicalising youths and also the travel agencies that helped many Indian people to go to Iraq to join ISIS.
MANISH PACHOULY
[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]Disparity In Pay Led To The Return Of Arif Majeed, The Kalyan Youth Who Had Joined The ISIS Along With Three Of His Friends[/alert].
