The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday chargesheeted five persons associated with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), unravelling a major conspiracy by the proscribed Afghan terrorist organisation to unleash acts of terror and violence.
The ISKP, a sister organisation of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), is active in Khorasan province of Afghanistan and is behind a meticulously planned conspiracy to promote terror and violence in the troubled nation, as per the NIA investigations.
Investigations so far have revealed that the accused — Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, Mohd. Hazim Shah, Sumera banu and Zubair — had plans to go to Afghanistan illegally via Iran from Porbandar, Gujarat, to train and carry out terrorist acts in Afghanistan. They were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) based on credible inputs. The ATS had found that the five men were actively involved with the ISKP.
Investigations by the NIA had revealed that the arrested individuals were engaged in activities such as recruitment of Muslim youth to join the violent agenda of the banned terror outfit. Their actions were not limited to propagating the agenda and ideology of ISKP on social media, but they were actively engaged in motivating, radicalizing and indoctrinating vulnerable Muslim youth in India with the extremist ideology of ISKP. They were also collecting funds for the banned terror organisation.
Two other accused are absconding in the case and, as per investigations, are based in Afghanistan and Iran. The two absconders are believed to be key handlers of the arrested individuals.
Given the national security ramifications and the international linkages, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had transferred the case to NIA on June 28. Subsequently, on July 1, the anti-terror agency had registered a case under sections 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities (P) Act, 1967, and section 120-B of IPC, based on the First Information Report (FIR) earlier filed by ATS Ahmedabad.
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