INDIA. Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet in the NIA Special Court in Mumbai against seven accused involved in a conspiracy related to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Saturday.
The charge sheets were filed under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in an IFR (No RC-05/2023/NIA/MUM).
Further investigation is continuing in accordance with the provisions of section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), as stated in the NIA’s press release issued on Sunday.
The seven accused who have been arrested and charged are:
- Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yusuf Khan @ Matka @ Aamir Abdul Hameed Khan (A-1) – resident of Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
- Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki @ Adil @ Adil Saleem Khan (A-2) – resident of Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
- Kadeer Dastagir Pathan @ Abdul Kadeer (A-3) – resident of Kondwa, Pune.
- Seemab Nasiruddin Kazi (A-4) – resident of Kondwa, Pune.
- Zulfikar Ali Barodawala @ Lalabhai @ Lala @ Saif (A-5) – resident of Padgha, Thane.
- Shamil Saquib Nachan (A-6) – resident of Padgha, Thane.
- Aakif Ateeque Nachan (A-7) – resident of Padgha, near Bhiwandi, Thane (Maharashtra).
The accused were involved in the collection and raising of funds for the terrorist organization with the intentions to further its activities relating to terror and violence.
They were found to be organizing terrorist training camps, harboring known and wanted terrorists, and committing acts preparatory to the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). They were also found in possession of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), firearms, and ammunition.
The investigations revealed that the accused persons in this case are members of the ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organization under Schedule-I of the UA(P) Act 1967 and had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of ISIS, with the intention to strike terror amongst the people and threaten the security, integrity, and sovereignty of India.
Investigations by the NIA uncovered a larger conspiracy with international connections and the involvement of foreign-based ISIS handlers in the ongoing case.
The NIA unveiled a complex network of individuals committed to propagating the extremist ideology of ISIS within India.
The accused individuals, as part of this network, took an oath of allegiance (Bayath) to the self-styled Khalifa (leader) of the ISIS and were found to be involved in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Their intentions were to carry out acts of terrorism on Indian soil.
The accused conducted extensive reconnaissance missions (Recce) across multiple States, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, and others.
Their aim was to identify potential targets for planting and detonating the fabricated IEDs, posing a significant threat to national security.
As part of their escape plan, the accused identified remote and deep forests as possible hideouts and used drones for reconnaissance to locate suitable camping locations while on the run.
The accused were also found to be collecting funds from various sources, both within India and abroad, to finance their terror designs and plans.
The case was initially registered as FIR no. 175/2023 dated July 19, encompassing various sections of the IPC, the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
Subsequently, on August 30, the NIA took over the case, leading to its re-registration as RC-05/2023/NIA/Mumbai.
The NIA arrested the 8th accused, Mohammad Shahnawaz Alam, on November 2 in Pune for active involvement in promoting terrorist activities of the designated foreign terrorist organization.
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