Chargesheet filed against 11 Al-qaeda operative of WB & Kerala

New Delhi:The national anti- terror probe agency NIA on Friday said that it has filed charge sheet today before the Special NIA Court, New Delhi against 11 members of Al Qaeda/Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) from West Bengal and Kerala namely Murshid Hasan aka Sofiq, Mosaraf Hoseen, Mainul Mandal, Lea Yean Ahmed aka 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.

This 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 aka Sofiq and that the members of this module were in advanced stage of conspiracy to execute terrorist attacks in different parts of the country.

In well synchronised raids conducted on September 19 last year in the states of West Bengal and Kerala, nine terrorists were arrested. Subsequently, two more terror operatives were arrested from West Bengal on November 1 last year.

“Investigation has revealed that Murshid 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. Murshid Hasan along with his other associates conspired to radicalise and recruit more individuals into the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda”, the officials in NIA said.

They disseminated radical material through social media and encrypted chat platforms with an intention to radicalise and recruit others for establishing an Islamic State by waging violent jihad in India, they added.

The NIA probe also revealed that the group members planned to attack individuals whom they consider Kafirs and the this outfit’s members had conducted a series of conspiratorial meetings for raising funds for the purchase of arms and ammunitions/explosive materials, radicalising 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, they added.(UNI)