The National Investigation Agency has chargesheeted two persons in a Karnataka court for allegedly raising funds to propagate the activities of Pakistan-based terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in India.
The accused persons allegedly attempted to radicalise and recruit gullible Muslim youths in the country for the banned terror outfit to carry out terrorist activities, an NIA spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The NIA had lodged a case against Mohd Arif (42) hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh who was working as a French translator in Bengaluru and Hamraz Worshid Shaikh (27) belonging to Maharashtra's Thane.
"Both the accused have been charged under various sections of the UAPA and the IPC on Monday," the spokesperson said.
NIA reveals probe details
Investigations have revealed that the accused persons interacted over encrypted social media applications, the official said.
The duo conspired with a Syria-based online handler of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and identified gullible Muslim youths in India and tried to radicalise and recruit them by propagating the ideology of the banned outfit, the official added.
"These youths were also motivated to migrate and join the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan for carrying out violent Jihad," the spokesperson said.
Arif has also made preparations to cross over to Afghanistan via the Iran-Afghanistan border to join the TTP along with his family, the official said.
"Arif had applied for an Iranian visa for his entire family and had also booked four flight tickets to Iran and four dummy return flight tickets to India for his family, including his wife and two minor children. Arif had also booked rooms in Boshra Hotel of Mashhad city of Iran, as per instructions of the online handler," the spokesperson said.
The investigation agency said that probe also revealed that Shaikh had transferred money to Pakistan to boost the activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
"The accused persons intended to establish Islamic rule in India by overcoming the democratically elected government through violent Jihad. Further investigations against the accused persons and suspects are in progress," the official said.
(With PTI inputs)
