Bengaluru: 3 JMB operatives sentenced to 7-year imprisonment in two terror-related cases

Bengaluru: A special NIA court here sentenced three members of the proscribed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to seven-year rigorous imprisonment in two terror-related cases.

Najir Sheikh alias “Patla Anas”, Habibur Rahaman Sk and Mosaraf Hossain, all residents of West Bengal, were also slapped with fine by the special judge in the cases registered against them in 2019 and 2020, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

The official said the trio were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act on Monday.

The spokesperson said one of the cases pertained to the seizure of huge quantities of electrical and electronic items, tools, chemical apparatus and containers used for fabrication of bombs and improvised explosive devices, digital cameras and incriminating handwritten documents from a hideout of the JMB in Bengaluru.

The case was initially registered by Karnataka Police at Soladevanahalli Police Station on July 7, 2019 and re-registered by the NIA on July 29, 2019, the spokesperson said.

Four more cases related to dacoity committed by the three accused in 2018 at different places were re-registered by the NIA on April 1, 2020.

“After completion of investigation, a consolidated charge sheet was filed in all these dacoity cases. For trial, these four cases were clubbed to the 2019 case,” the NIA said.

The official said the investigations had established that accused persons had raised funds by committing dacoities at various places in Bengaluru with the intention of furthering the activities of JMB in India and also collected explosive materials and test-fired a rocket launcher.

“The proceeds of crime-dacoity in the form of gold was sold by Nazir Sheikh and other accused for raising funds for carrying out terror activities,” the spokesperson said.