A special NIA court in Kochi on Saturday convicted 2 men from Coimbatore for recruiting individuals and propagating the ideology of the proscribed terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The court found Muhammad Azharudeen (27) of Anbu Nagar, Ukkadam, and Shiek Hidayathulla alias Firoz Khan (35) of South Ukkadam guilty under charges of criminal conspiracy (IPC Section 120B) and provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, including membership of a terrorist organisation (Section 38) and supporting a terrorist organisation (Section 39).
Judge N. Seshadrinathan directed that both men will be physically produced in court on September 29 for the pronouncement of their sentence. Until then, Hidayathulla has been remanded to Viyyur High Security Prison. During the hearing, the accused sought leniency, citing their family circumstances.
Case Background
The case was registered in 2019 after the National Investigation Agency received intelligence that Azharudeen and his associates were attempting to radicalise vulnerable youth in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in order to carry out terror attacks in South India.
Although 6 individuals were initially named in the FIR, the NIA filed its chargesheet against only two accused the same year. The trial involved the examination of 40 witnesses.
Azharudeen, who is also facing charges in another Coimbatore blast case, was reportedly associated with Wahadath-e-Islami, a front linked to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. He had become its district leader in 2013 and regularly delivered speeches at local mosques.
Findings Of The Investigation
According to the NIA’s report, both men were radicalised through online extremist content from 2016 onwards. They frequently watched and disseminated speeches of radical preachers, including Anwar al-Awlaki, Abu Bara, Moosa Cerantonio, and Zahran Hashim, the Sri Lankan ISIS leader behind the 2019 Easter bombings.
Digital forensic analysis revealed speeches and propaganda materials linked to Hashim on their devices and social media accounts.
The NIA also said that from 2017 to March 2019, the accused actively advanced ISIS activities in South India, traveling across Kerala and recruiting associates in Coimbatore through both personal meetings and digital platforms.
“The accused persons propagated the ideology of ISIS with the intention of recruiting others into the organisation and furthering its objectives in India,” the agency stated.
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