The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against a terrorist of the banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Al-Hind module case on Friday, September 3. The charge sheet alleges that the terrorist attempted to form an ‘Islamist caliphate’ in South India. This is the second charge sheet filed by the NIA in the case. The first charge sheet was filed by the agency in July 2020 before the Special NIA court in Chennai.
The charge sheet, which has been accessed by Times Now, further reveals that the ISIS terrorists had selected Bengaluru as their base and conducted several criminal conspiracy meetings in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu since 2019. They had propagated the ideology of the banned terrorist group ISIS and plotted to amass weapons and explosives in order to kill police personnel and Hindu political leaders.
#Exclusive #Breaking | TIMES NOW accesses NIA chargesheet into the Al Hind case which alleges an attempt to form an ‘Islamist caliphate’ in South India.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 16, 2021
Deepak Bopanna & Siddhant Mishra with details & analysis. pic.twitter.com/26v3RX7Kxn
The accused hatched the conspiracy with one unknown ISIS handler, says NIA.
ISIS terrorist Shihabudeen used illegal weapons provided by the outfit to kill SSI Wilson: NIA
The charge sheet filed by the agency on September 3 was against accused 39-year-old Shihabudeen (alias Sirajudeen and Khalid), a resident of Chennai. Shihabudeen was arrested by NIA in January 2021, in connection with the brutal murder of Special Sub-Inspector A Wilson. The accused was charged under Section 120 B of IPC, Section 25 (1) (a) of Arms Act 1959 and sections 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
According to the NIA, ISIS terrorist Shihabudeen was part of a larger conspiracy, in collecting and supplying arms and ammunition in Mumbai.
The illegal firearm and prohibited ammunition belonging to the terrorist group were used by Shihabudeen and his associates to kill Tamil Nadu police officer SSI Wilson in January 2020. Shihabudeen had fled to Qatar after killing the SSI. He was deported and arrested by NIA from the Chennai airport on his arrival from Qatar on January 6, 2021.
The preliminary investigation in the murder of SSI Wilson had revealed that his murderers were “self-declared jihadists” who killed the police personnel to avenge the arrest of their ISIS associates by the Tamil Nadu police in Bengaluru in January 2020.
The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge-sheet before Special NIA court in Chennai against six accused ISIS terrorists in connection with the brutal murder of Special Sub-Inspector Wilson. The NIA filed charge-sheet mentions Abdul Shameem, Y Thowfeek, Khaja Mohideen, Mahboob Pasha, Ejas Pasha and Jaffar Ali as the accused in the Wilson murder case and are charged under sections 120B, 302, 353 and 506 (ii) read with 34 of IPC, sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, and sections 25(1B)(a) and 27 of the Arms Act.
It must be recalled that the case against ISIS terrorist Mehboob Pasha and 16 others was registered at Sadduguntepalya Police Station, Bengaluru in January last year. The NIA had re-registered the case on January 23, 2020, and took over the case on February 1 from the Tamil Nadu Police.
The probe revealed accused had formed the Al-Hind module and selected Bengaluru as their base in April 2019.
Accused Mehboob Pasha, a resident of Gurappanapalya, Bengaluru in association with Khaja Moideen accused in several cases registered in Tamil Nadu related to terrorism, the murder of police personnel and Hindu leaders, formed a terrorist group by recruiting young Muslims in south India to bring the Islamic Rule or Shariah.
ISIS terrorists aimed to operate in a similar manner to the Naxals: NIA
The accused had identified the Jambusar district in Gujarat, Burdwan in West Bengal and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to establish a caliphate by waging violent jihad. According to an official, the gang wanted its members to relocate to the deep forests of these states and operate in a similar manner to the Naxals. The terrorists, who aimed to establish an ISIS province near forests in southern India were trained to survive in jungles.
ISIS terrorists in Afghanistan trying to recruit Indians online
Further, in addition, NIA has also identified 25 ISIS suspects who are thought to be in Afghanistan and are attempting to recruit Indians online to carry out jihad in the aftermath of the Afghanistan crisis.
“The identity of the foreign handler in the Bengaluru ISIS module is yet to be established. His chat name was said to be ‘Bhai’,” said a senior NIA official.
