A brother and sister who received over Rs. 50,000 from a mysterious benefactor to prepare their travel documents, an MBA holder and his wife, a Google employee, brother of a SIMI activist killed by the police, and several engineering students.

There is no set pattern for the kind of Islamic State sympathisers under watch by Indian agencies, except that most of them are from the southern States, and many have an engineering background.

Agencies are believed to be monitoring up to 150 youths. Among them at least 18 are from Telangana, and many from Tamil Nadu.

“It may well be that these States have better surveillance. Or it could well be reflective of the reality,” an official said about the large number of south Indian Muslims being under the scanner.

In Telangana, a 21-year-old youth from a middle class family seems to be a key figure motivating people.

Among those who have bought into his efforts is his sister, who is probably willing to travel to Syria as a nurse. Their parents seem to have no idea of their secret life.

Officials suspect four others are also part of this group that may have made elaborate plans to go to Syria.