The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against six individuals in the Maharashtra ISIS terror-module case, unveiling a broader conspiracy with international linkages and the involvement of foreign-based handlers of the terror group, according to an official statement on Thursday.
The accused, charged before the NIA Special Court in Mumbai under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC), were allegedly actively promoting the violent ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Their activities included recruiting individuals to the organization, engaging in acts preparatory to terrorist violence, and hatching a conspiracy to strike fear and terror, threatening the security of India, its secular ethos, culture, and democratic governance, as stated by the NIA spokesperson.
The chargesheeted individuals are Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala alias "Lalabhai," Sharjeel Shaikh, and Aakif Ateeque Nachan of Borivali-Padgha, and Zubair Noor Mohammad Shaikh alias "Abu Nusaiba" and Adnanali Sarkar of Pune. They were apprehended during NIA raids in Maharashtra in July.
The investigation, detailed in the 400-page chargesheet filed in the court of Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti, revealed a complex network dedicated to spreading the extremist ideology of ISIS in India. Barodawala and Nachan were previously charged in the Pune ISIS-module case for fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Barodawala and Siddiqui had taken an oath of allegiance ("Bayath") to the self-styled "Khalifa" (leader) of ISIS.
The accused were found in possession of incriminating material related to "Hijrah" (migration) to Syria, along with ISIS propaganda magazines such as "Voice of Hind" and "Voice of Khurasan." They were also sharing do-it-yourself (DIY) kits with their contacts and raising funds for their terror plans.
The NIA initiated the case on June 28 following information from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about a conspiracy to disturb the unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty of the country by promoting ISIS's terrorist activities. Further investigations in the case are ongoing.
The ISIS, known by various names such as Islamic State (IS), Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), Daesh, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, and Islamic State of Iraq and Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K), has been operating through different modules to spread terror across the country, according to the official statement.
