The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday gave the nod for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take up the cases registered in Kerala's Kasargode and Palakkad against some youth, who along with their families, left their homes during May-July with the intention of joining terror outfit Islamic State.

The Home Ministry order points out that the preliminary inquiry has revealed that the aforesaid accused persons have entered into a criminal conspiracy to support and further the terrorist activities of IS.

At least 21 people including women and children have been reported missing from these two districts and it was the Kerala Police which first registered the cases after some of the missing people sent messages to their families here about their whereabouts, while some of them had said that "they have reached the Islamic State".

Of the 21 people, 17 are from Kasargode district in the northern tip of Kerala, and four from Palakkad district.

The Kerala government had also completed all the formalities and requested the central government to initiate a NIA probe.