The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday (June 13) filed a charge-sheet against seven suspects involved in the Bellary IS module case for setting up Uttar Pradesh sleeper cells and fabricating explosives. The seven accused were earlier arrested by the central agency. As per the agency, the accused have been charged with "recruitment and radicalization of vulnerable youth as mujahideens to operate as terrorist sleeper cells."
What did the NIA say?
"They were part of a bigger ISIS conspiracy to prepare 50 such sleeper cells in each district of India by 2025. The accused were also involved in the fabrication of explosives for the furtherance of the ISIS goal to establish the Caliphate System in India by waging jihad against the Government of India," the NIA said.
The agency further said that they were actively engaged in propagating the ISIS ideology and have been chargesheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.
According to the NIA probe in the case which was registered in December 2023, the Bellary module was inspired by the separatist and violent ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
"The sleeper cells were being prepared to carry out guerrilla attacks on the Indian soldiers, police and leaders of specific religious organisations," said the anti-terror agency.
The improvised explosive devices prepared by the accused were meant to unleash terrorist violence in various parts of the country, NIA investigations have further revealed.
It said that the accused had already carried out a trial blast in Bellary, Karnataka, and had also been sharing jihad-related digital documents/data with other vulnerable youth.
Identification of terrorists
The NIA had, during the investigation, seized explosive materials, sharp-edged weapons, digital devices containing propaganda magazines related to jihad, khilafat, fidayeen attacks published by various terrorist organisations including ISIS, and several incriminating documents and data exposing the ISIS roadmap for establishing Islamic rule in India.
Six of the chargesheeted accused had taken 'bayath' (pledge of allegiance) from their co-accused, Md Sulaiman alias Minaj, who had proclaimed himself as Amir of the group created by him, the NIA said.
Besides Minaj, the others chargesheeted by NIA have been identified as Mohammed Muniruddin, Syed Sameer and Md. Muzammil, all residents of Karnataka, Anas Iqbal Shaikh, a resident of Maharashtra, Mohd Shahbaz alias Zulfikar of Jharkhand, and Shayan Rehman alias Hussain of Delhi.
"Further investigations are in progress to unravel the complete conspiracy and identify others involved in the same," the NIA added.
(With ANI inputs)
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