New Delhi: In a significant revelation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that members of the Maharashtra Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror module had been sharing "DIY (Do It Yourself) kits" with their contacts committed to propagating the extremist and violent ideology of the global terrorist organisation within India.
The accused were also found to be raising funds to finance their terror plans and designs, as mentioned by the NIA in its charge-sheet against six persons to tighten its noose further around the ISIS terror conspiracy in India.
"NIA investigations so far in the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case (NIA RC-02/2023/NIA/MUM) have revealed a larger conspiracy with international linkages and the involvement of foreign-based ISIS handlers," states the charge-sheet
"The investigations have also exposed a complex network of individuals committed to propagating the extremist and violent ideology of ISIS within India."
Those chargesheeted have been identified as Tabish Nasser Siddiqui of Mumbai, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala alias Lalabhai, Sharjeel Shaikh and Aakif Ateeque Nachan of Borivali-Padgha, as well as Zubair Noor Mohammad Shaikh alias Abu Nusaiba and Adnanali Sarkar of Pune.
As per the NIA, all the accused are members of the proscribed ISIS outfit and had "hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of organisation, with the intention to strike fear and terror amongst the people and threaten the security of India its secular ethos and culture and the democratic system of governance."
Two of these accused, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala and Aakif Ateeque Nachan, were earlier also chargesheeted in the Pune ISIS module case for fabrication of IEDs for triggering blasts.
The accused, chargesheeted before the NIA Special Court, Mumbai, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, were engaged in actively propagating the violent and extremist ideology of the ISIS and in carrying out acts preparatory to terrorist violence through recruitment of individuals to the organisation and its cause.
Two accused, Tabish and Zulfikar, had taken an oath of allegiance (Bayath) to the self-styled Khalifa (leader) of the ISIS.
The NIA Mumbai Branch also found the accused in possession of incriminating material related to Hijrah to Syria, along with propaganda magazines like 'Voice of Hind' and 'Voice of Khurasan' published by the ISIS.
"Further, the accused had been sharing DIY (Do It Yourself) kits with their contacts. The accused were also found to be raising funds to finance their terror plans and designs, as per NIA investigations," said the anti-terror agency in the charge-sheet.
The case was registered by NIA Mumbai on June 28 this year against Tabish Nasser Siddiqui and others, following information received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding a conspiracy hatched by them to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country, and to wage a war against the government of India by promoting the terrorist activities of ISIS.
Further investigations in the case are continuing in accordance with the provisions of section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
It is noted that ISIS, also known by the names Islamic State (IS), Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), Daish, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, and Islamic State of Iraq and Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K), has been operating through various modules to spread terror across India. (ANI)
