NIA files chargesheet against 11 Al Qaeda members

By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted 11 terrorists of al Qaeda who were planning to execute several terror attacks in the country on the instructions of their Pakistan- and Bangladesh-based handlers. 

The “nefarious plans” of the terrorists were obviated by their “timely arrest”, the anti-terror agency said, adding that the accused were planning to attack among others, an India-based Bangladeshi blogger.Murshid Hasan, Mosaraf Hoseen, Mainul Mandal, Lea Yean Ahmed, Najmus Sakib, Iyakub Biswas, Samim Ansari, Abu Sufian, Atiur Rahman, Al Mamun Kamal and Abdul Momin Mandal have been named in the charge sheet under sections of the IPC, the UAPA and the Arms Act, NIA officials said.

The case was registered by the NIA based on information about an al Qaeda-inspired module sprouting and operating in Bengal and Kerala under the leadership of Hasan.  The members of this module were in advanced stage of conspiracy to execute terrorist attacks in different parts of the country, NIA officials said.

During raids in various parts of Bengal and Kerala on September 19, the agency arrested nine terrorists. Subsequently, two more terror operatives were arrested from Bengal on August 26 and November 1 last year.

Hasan 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, an NIA spokesperson said. Hasan along with his other associates conspired to radicalise and recruit more individuals into al Qaeda. 

Gujarat resident charge-sheeted for espionageThe National Investigation Agency has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Gujarat resident Rajakbhai Kumbhar, an alleged agent of Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, NIA officials said on Friday. Kumbhar, who was arrested on September 30 last year, had visited Pakistan twice on legal documents and during his return in the course of second visit, he had come in contact with ISI operatives Hamid and joined the conspiracy with the co-accused, NIA said. The charge sheet against was filed on Thursday under sections of the IPC and the stringent UAPA.