Main accused in al-Qaeda terror plot had travelled to many places in South, East India: NIA
Murshid Hasan, the main accused in the al-Qaeda terror plot busted by the National Investigation Agony, had travelled to several places in South and East India and was inspired by the violent ideology of the globally proscribed terrorist outfit, NIA told a court in Kochi.
Foiling an attempt by internationally banned terror group to set up a base in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested nine suspected terrorists, including three from Kwera;a after conducting raids in the intervening night of September 18 and 19 at Ernakulam in Kerala and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
While Murshid Hasan, Mosaraf Hoseen and Yakub Biswas were arrested from various places in Ernakulam district, the six others were nabbed from Murshidabad.
The agency has informed a NIA special court here that reliable inputs were received that some suspects were involved in the larger criminal conspiracy for raising and collecting funds for committing terrorist acts and furthering their jihadi ideology in order to recruit and radicalise youths.
Besides the arrested accused, some unknown persons, who are also members of the group, were also involved in the criminal conspiracy for committing terror acts, NIA said in its application on Saturday, seeking their transit remand to produce them before the Court of Special Judge for NIA cases at Patiala House Court, New Delhi, which is the court of competent jurisdiction for the case.
The Court granted NIA custody of the accused from 5 pm on Saturday till 11 am on September 22 to produce them before the Court of Special judge for NIA cases on or before the date of expiry of the custody with medical certificate.
In its application, NIA said the group is suspected to be in possession of weapons and were actively raising and collecting funds for the purpose of procurement of arms and ammunition.
It said all the members appeared to be highly radicalised and motivated to commit terrorist activities to further their jihadi ideology and activities.
Several incriminating chats, photos and videos showed that they have hatched a conspiracy for anti-national activities, the agency said.
"The group is headed by first accused, who is a Bengali speaking individual and has travelled to several places in South and East India.
He is inspired by the violent ideology of globally proscribed terrorist outfit, al-Qaeda", the agency said in the application.
The accused were taken into custody along with some incriminating documents and materials, the NIA said.
A closely-monitored operation of the NIA and other central agencies began on September 11 when the investigating agency registered a case to probe the al-Qaeda module.
Incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally-fabricated body armour, articles and literature for making home-made explosive devices, were seized from the possession of the arrested terrorists, NIA officials had said.
