Bengaluru NIA Court Sentences 2 Al-Qaeda Members to 7 Yrs of Imprisonment

A Special NIA Court in Bengaluru has convicted and sentenced two individuals associated with Al-Qaeda to 7 years in jail.

According to an NIA press release, Akthar Hussain Laskar, also known as Md Hussain from Assam, and Abdul Aleem Mondal, also known as Md Juba from West Bengal, have also been fined Rs 41,000 and Rs 51,000, respectively.

The NIA registered the case on August 30, 2022, under sections 153A, 153B, 120B, 121, 121A, 114, and 511 of the IPC, along with sections 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967.

The NIA press release emphasized that the conviction of the two AQIS members signifies a significant success in the NIA’s persistent efforts to identify and prosecute the banned outfit’s ‘Handlers.’

According to NIA investigations, the convicted individuals were radicalized and recruited by foreign-based online handlers of AQIS (Al Qaeda in Indian Sub-Continent). They were actively involved in advancing AQIS activities and had joined various Telegram groups following their recruitment.

Further revelations from NIA investigations indicate that the convicted individuals had conspired to undertake Hijra to the Khorasan Province of Afghanistan, intending to undergo training there. The release also stated that the men had planned to carry out Jihad against members of a specific community in India after receiving training in Khorasan, as part of the AQIS conspiracy to promote its anti-India agenda through acts of terror and violence.

The NIA release added, “They were also in the process of radicalizing and recruiting other youth into the AQIS, besides motivating them to commit Hijra to Khorasan, Afghanistan.”