NIA files charge sheet against 17 key ISIS conspirators

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The NIA on Monday filed a charge sheet against 17 people who allegedly formed a terror group to carry out strikes in India and were involved in furthering the activities of ISIS in the southern states, an official said.

The accused, including Mahboob Pasha, Khaja Moideen and M Sadiq Basha, have been charged under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act before a special NIA court in Bengaluru.

The 17 key conspirators formed a terror group initiated by ISIS terrorists — Pasha of Bengaluru and Moideen of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu — for furthering and perpetrating the activities of ISIS in India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, an NIA spokesperson said.

Pasha, in association with Moideen and Basha, formed the terror group for spreading the ideology and activities of ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation, through its off-shoot outfit Al-Hind in Bengaluru, he said.

They were conspiring with the other co-accused at the house and the Al-Hind Office of Pasha in Guruppanpalya and other places in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu since April 2019 for carrying out terrorist attacks in India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and “for establishing the Islamic Khilafat in India”, the NIA official said.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, Pasha and Moideen recruited vulnerable youths and procured arms, ammunition and large quantities of explosives for making powerful IEDs, he said, adding that they also collected jungle training material to conduct training at Shivanasamudra and Gundelpet area and for securing hideouts.

“The accused were also communicating with an unknown foreign ISIS handler through a secure chat (dark web) for perpetrating ISIS activities in India,” the NIA official said.

The other accused named by the NIA were Abdul Samad, Y Thowfeek, Syed Ali Navas, Jaffar Ali, Abdul Shameem, Imran Khan, Mohammed Haneef Khan, Mohammed Mansoor Ali Khan, Saleem Khan, Hussain Shariff, Ejaz Pasha, Zabiulla, Syed Fasiur Rehaman and Mohammed Zaid.

The NIA has also declared a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for the arrest of absconding accused Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, he said, adding further investigation in the case was underway.