Summary:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet against 17 Islamic State suspects who had allegedly formed a terror group named Al-Hind to carry “out terrorist attacks in South India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and for establishing Islamic Khilafat in India”.
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New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet against 17 Islamic State suspects who had allegedly formed a terror group named Al-Hind to carry “out terrorist attacks in South India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and for establishing Islamic Khilafat in India”.
Among those chargesheeted is Khaja Mohideen, who is one of the oldest alleged IS recruits the NIA has been investigating since 2017 and was chargesheeted last week in connection with the murder of a police officer in Tamil Nadu.
Mohideen (52) is alleged to be an associate of Haja Fakhruddin, among the first recruits from India who allegedly joined the IS in January 2014 along with his family.
Both of them are from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.
The NIA chargesheet has claimed the group had been established by Mohideen and Mehboob Pasha of Bengaluru.
NIA earlier claimed that Al-Hind was formed to target “Hindu leaders” and security officials.
On February 24, NIA had conducted searches at 15 locations in Karnataka in connection with the case and said, “This case pertains to a criminal conspiracy with an objective of murdering Hindu leaders, creating communal riots and to do anti-national activities by forming a terrorist gang, being inspired by ISIS… The members of the terrorist gang conducted meetings at Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and propagated ISIS ideology, procured arms and ammunition and other incriminating material for executing their plans.”
According to NIA, Mehboob Pasha, a resident of Gurappanapalya, Bengaluru, in association with Khaja Mohideen and Sadiq Basha (another chargesheeted accused), formed a terror group for spreading the ideology and activities of IS in India through its offshoot known as Al-Hind in Bengaluru.
“They were conspiring with other co-accused at the house and Al-Hind office of Mahboob Pasha in Guruppanpalya and other places in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu since April, 2019, for carrying out terrorist attacks in South India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and for establishing Islamic Khilafat in India,” the NIA chargesheet has claimed.
According to the NIA, Pasha and Mohideen recruited vulnerable youths, and procured arms and ammunition and large quantities of explosive materials to make powerful IEDs.