NIA files chargesheet against 3 ISIS recruiters

Bengaluru: The NIA on Saturday filed a supplementary chargesheet before a special court here against three people for their alleged involvement in radicalising and recruiting gullible Muslim youth into the ISIS terrorist group.

They also raised and received funds to finance the visit of the radicalised youths to Syria, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency said.

Muhammad Tauqir Mahmood and Zohaib Manna of Bengaluru, and Mohammed Shihab of Bhatkal in Karnataka have been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the spokesperson said.

The case was registered by the NIA in September 2020 after examination of Dr Abdur Rahman in a case of the Islamic State Khorasan Province which led to unravelling of an ISIS module, the official said.

During this, names of various people responsible for radicalising and funding the visits of Muslim youth from Bengaluru and Karnataka to ISIS areas such as Syria, had emerged, the spokesperson said.

The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against two accused in the case.

Mahmood and Manna were involved in radicalising and recruiting gullible Muslim youth into the fold of the ISIS through a Quran Circle group, according to the spokesperson.

They were also involved in raising and receiving funds to finance the visit of radicalised Muslim youth to Syria, the NIA official said.

Mahmood and Shihab had earlier visited Syria illegally to establish connection with ISIS terrorists, the spokesperson said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.