ISIS module case: 6 accused planned to recruit 'gullible Muslim youths', says NIA chargesheet

Mumbai: The six people arrested in the ISIS module case were actively supporting the proscribed terrorist organization and were propagating its ideology among ‘gullible Muslim youths’, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in its chargesheet filed recently before a court here.

The accused planned to commit terror acts in India, said the National Investigation Agency’s chargesheet, which was filed on Thursday against six people held in July 2023 during multiple raids in Maharashtra in the ISIS module case.

They have been identified as Tabish Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali, Sharjeel Shaikh and Aakif Ateeque Nachan, Zubair Shaikh and Adnanali Sarkar.

The 4000-page chargesheet, which was filed in the court of Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti, has 16 protected witnesses.

It is revealed during investigation that the accused planned to commit terror acts to show support to ISIS in India and meetings were held in Borivali (in Thane district).

It is evident from the statement of witness that the accused had several meetings in Chhoti Masjid, Padgha-Borivali, wherein they used to plan the recruitment of gullible Muslim youth for Islamic State (ISIS), furthering the activities of Islamic State, propagating the ideology of Daesh aka ISIS and to carry out violent jihad, the chargesheet said.

As per the chargesheet it is a terror module with international linkages, whereby the accused have undergone radicalization towards the concept of violent jihad and are willing to undertake ‘Hijrat’ (migration to land of jihad) for participating in the terror activities of ISIS.

They are all members of the proscribed ISIS outfit and had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of the organisation, with the intention to strike fear and terror among the people and threaten the security of India, its secular ethos and culture as well the democratic system of governance.

Further, the accused were sharing DIY (Do It Yourself) kits with their contacts and were found to be raising funds to finance their terror plans and designs, the chargesheet said.

As per the chargesheet, they recruited youths and trained them in fabrication of IEDs and weapons (small arms) for which they have shared relevant material including ‘DIY kits’ amongst themselves.

Further, on the directions of foreign-based handlers of ISIS, they created media content, which was then published in the magazine of ‘Voice of Hind’ in order to further the activities of said proscribed organization, it added.

The case was registered by NIA on June 28 2023, against Tabish Siddiqui and others, following information received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding a conspiracy hatched by them to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country, and to wage a war against the Government of India by promoting the terrorist activities of ISIS.

Further investigations in the case are continuing in accordance with the provisions of section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).