The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed its first supplementary chargesheet on June 30 against nine persons in the Islamic State (IS) conspiracy case of Shivamogga district in Karnataka.
The accused had carried out a trial IED blast in Shivamogga, besides reconnaissance of multiple places, and arson on property and vehicles to spread terror among the people, as part of an IS conspiracy to carry out acts of terror and violence in India and wage a war against India.
The accused chargesheeted are Mohamed Shariq (25), Maaz Muneer Ahmed (23), Syed Yasin (22), Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh (22), Huzair Farhan Baig (22), Mazin Abdul Rahman (22), Nadeem Ahmed K.A. (22), Zabiulla (32), and Nadeem Faizal N. (27). All of them belong to Karnataka. They have been charged under UA(P) Act 1967, IPC and Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act, 1981.
Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin were chargesheeted in March this year, and have now been charged with other offences.
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Maaz Muneer Ahmed, Syed Yasin, Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh, Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed K.A. have studied mechanical and electrical engineering. They had been tasked by their foreign-based IS handler to pursue robotics courses, to pick up skills to carry terrorist attacks in furtherance of the IS agenda in India.
Investigations revealed that Mohamed Shariq, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin had hatched a criminal conspiracy, in connivance with an IS operative based abroad, to promote terror and violence on the directions of IS, a banned terrorist outfit, in the region. The trio had actively radicalised and recruited the co-accused with the intention of disturbing national security, and unity and sovereignty of India.
Their online handler had funded the accused through crypto currencies.
The case was initially registered by the Shivamogga Rural police on September 19, 2022, and later taken over and re-registered by NIA on November 15, 2022.
