NIA court sentenced five people, including two women, on Monday to varying jail terms in a case related to a conspiracy by the banned Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) group to promote the ISIS ideology and spread terror through acts of violence in India.
On March 8, 2020, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested two accused -- Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh -- from Okhla Vihar, Jamia Nagar, for their affiliation to the banned ISKP, it said.
The duo had planned to commit anti-national activities in India. Later on March 20, 2020, NIA re-registered the case and took up the investigation.
During the course of investigation, the NIA arrested two other persons, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel S Khatri, from Pune on July 12, 2020. Investigating further, it arrested another man named Abdur Rahman alias Dr Brave in August 2020.
Abdur Rehman
The trial against Abdur Rehman alias Dr Brave is continuing, the statement said. Rahman, an MBBS student from Bengaluru, had been radicalised by the other accused persons and had travelled to Syria in December 2013, the probe agency added.
According to the NIA, he participated in various terrorist activities of the ISIS In Syria and had learnt to develop a medical application for treatment of the ISIS terrorists. He also learnt to develop a Laser Guided Anti-Tank Missile application for ISIS, it added.
Jahanzaib Sami
In its order, the NIA court sentenced accused Jahanzaib Sami to varying periods of imprisonment, extending from 3 to 20 years, along with fine. He was conspiring to establish Caliphate in the country and carry out 100 IED blasts throughout the country in a single day.
The NIA investigations had also revealed that Sami was also raising, receiving and providing funds through crypto currency to promote the ideology of ISIS. Additionally, he was exploiting the sentiments of youth to exacerbate the CAA/NRC protests.
"Sami was also involved in exploiting the sentiments of gullible youth to fuel the anti CAA/NRC protests," the statement said. Notably, widespread protests were staged over the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or the CAA on December 12, 2019 and on a proposal for the National Register of Citizens (NRC). While CAA provided citizenship to the religious minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, NRC envisages a national register of Indian citizens.
Hina Bashir Beigh
Hina Bashir Beigh, annothere accused and wife of Sami has been sentenced to seven years in jail each for two offences under sections 38 and 39 of the UAPA. She had professed to be a member of ISIS and had helped her husband to identify like-minded persons to carry forward the terror organisation’s nefarious agenda against India, the probe agency said.
Abdullah Basith
Another accused, "Abdullah Basith has been convicted under sections 38 & 39 of UA(P)A, and has been sentenced to the period already undergone by him," it said. As per the NIA investigations, Abdullah Basith is a self-professed ISIS member. He helped accused Jahanzaib Sami in preparing the magazine named "Voice of Hind" for propagating the ideas of Islamic State.
Sadiya Anwar Sheikh
Apart from them, accused Sadiya Anwar Shaikh has also been convicted to seven years each for offences under sections 38(2) & 39(2) of UAPA, as she had professed to be a member of ISIS and had tried to bring all the terrorist groups under the banner of the ISIS. She had also tried to procure a suicide jacket through accused Jahanzaib Sami, the NIA probe in the case has revealed.
Nabeel Sheikh
Lastly, Nabeel Siddick Khatri has been convicted under sections 17, 38 & 39 of UAPA to 15, eight and eight years, respectively for providing funds to accused Jahanzaib Sami for procurement of weapons. He also conducted preparatory blasts in connivance with Jahanzaib Sami to further the ISIS ideology. According to the court's order, Khatri will have to pay Rs 2.5 lakh fine or serve an additional two years in jail in case of failure to pay the fine imposed under Section 17 of the UA(P) Act, the statement said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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