The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 04/03/2021 filed a charge-sheet in Special NIA Court, New Delhi against eleven members of Al Qaeda/AQIS from West Bengal and Kerala.
The accused, who have been identified as Murshid Hasan alias Sofiq, Mosaraf Hoseen, Mainul Mandal, Lea Yean Ahmed alias Leion, Najmus Sakib, Iyakub Biswas, Samim Ansari, Abu Sufian, Atiur Rahman, Al Mamun Kamal, Abdul Momin Mandal, have been booked under sections 120B, 121, 121A, 122 of Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 25 of Arms Act.
The NIA press release says:
- Today (26.2.2021), NIA filed a charge-sheet in Special NIA Court, New Delhi against eleven members of Al Qaeda/AQIS from West Bengal and Kerala namely Murshid Hasan @ Sofiq, Mosaraf Hoseen, Mainul Mandal, Lea Yean Ahmed @ Leion, Najmus Sakib, Iyakub Biswas, Samim Ansari, Abu Sufian, Atiur Rahman, Al Mamun Kamal, Abdul Momin Mandal under sections 120B, 121, 121A, 122 of Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 25 of Arms Act.
- The instant case was registered by NIA based on information about an Al Qaeda inspired module sprouting and operating in States of West Bengal and Kerala under the leadership of Murshid Hasan @ Sofiq and that the members of this module were in an advanced stage of conspiracy to execute terrorist attacks in different parts of the country. In well-synchronized raids conducted on 19.9.2020 in the states of West Bengal and Kerala, nine terrorists were arrested. Subsequently, two more terror operatives were arrested from West Bengal on 26.8.2020 and 1.11.2020.
- The investigation has revealed that Murshid Hasan @ Sofiq was in touch with Al Qaeda handlers based in Pakistan and Bangladesh and had received instructions along with radical propaganda material through encrypted social media platforms from them. Murshid Hasan along with his other associates conspired to radicalize and recruit more individuals into the terrorist organization Al Qaeda. They disseminated radical material through social media and encrypted chat platforms with an intention to radicalize and recruit others for establishing an Islamic State by waging violent jihad in India.
- The investigation has also revealed that the group members planned to attack individuals whom they consider Kafirs. The group members had conducted a series of conspiratorial meetings for raising funds for the purchase of arms and ammunition/explosive materials, radicalizing and recruiting more members, and charting out the future course of action including establishing a Markaz (a training centre for providing religious and weapons training to new recruits). The accused persons were also in active communication with an arms dealer through their foreign-based handlers and were planning to receive a consignment of sophisticated arms and ammunitions in New Delhi. However, their nefarious plans were obviated by their timely arrest by NIA. The accused persons were planning to attack among others, an India-based Bangladeshi blogger for his views expressed on social media.
- Further investigation against the absconding accused persons continues.
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