NIA Files Chargesheet In Guj Court Against Suspected Operatives Of Terror Outfit ISKP

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday has filed a chargesheet in the special court in Gujarat against 5 persons, including a woman, for their alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State of Khorasan Province.

The chargesheet was filed against Ubaid Mir, Hanan Shawl, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Zubair Ahmed Munshi, and Sumerabanu Hanif Malek which was submitted in the court of special judge Kamal Sojitra by NIA special public prosecutor Amit Nair.

The ISKP is an UN-designated terrorist organization.

The chargesheet stated that, investigations by the NIA revealed that the accused planned to “train themselves and carry out terror attacks” in Afghanistan after reaching the war-torn country through Iran as directed by their handler.

On June 9, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad busted this ISKP module and arrested Mir, Shawl, and Shah from Porbandar city in Gujarat. A day later, the ATS nabbed Sumerabanu from Surat and Munshi from Srinagar. All 4 men hail from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

They were booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and section 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The NIA found a video clip in which the accused can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons sitting under the flag of the outfit, as per the chargesheet.

However, officials stated that the interrogation of the accused by the ATS revealed that all of them were part of the ISKP module and radicalised by their handler Abu Hamza.

Mir, Shawl and Shah reached Porbandar to work as fishermen on boats with the given GPS coordinates as directed by Abu Hamza. They planned to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan through Iran to join ISKP.

As per the ATS, From Porbandar, they were to be taken to Iran on a dhow and were provided with fake passports for Afghanistan and to reach Khorasan via Herat.

The ATS found mobile phones, tablets, and sharp weapons in the bags of the accused.

It was revealed that their handler planned to release the pre-recorded videos and photographs of their ‘sacrifice’ in Afghanistan. In a video clip, they can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons.

The ATS found copies of various publications promoting radicalisation, including ISKP’s mouthpiece “Voice of Khorasan” during the search of the house of Sumerabanu Hanif Malek in Surat.

ATS said that Malek “admitted” to having been in touch with Abu Hamza and being “close” to Munshi.

The case was transferred to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 28.