NIA seeks assistance of six countries in ISIS case probe

File photo - Representational image

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought assistance from six countries, including the US, UAE, and Canada, in its ongoing investigation into various suspected ISIS operatives and their terror activities in the country.

The probe agency disclosed this in its charge sheet filed before District Judge Amar Nath against 16 suspected ISIS operatives, arrested from across the country allegedly on the charges of recruiting and financing people to join the terror group.

The agency claimed that these accused were trying to "advance the cause of ISIS and establish Caliphate in India".

It also alleged that they were seeking assistance from Maoist groups and had also planned to use forests of Telangana as a hideout.

"Investigation confirmed that the accused persons were using different mobile numbers and they had contacted and interacted with their associates on web-based social media networks for the purpose of recruitment, preparation of IEDs, identifying places for training and hideout and finally committing terror strikes at various public places and vital installations in India..."

"In this regard two requests under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to the USA, one request under MLAT to Canada, two requests under MLAT to UAE and one Letters Rogatory each to Ireland, New Zealand, and Sudan have been sent for collection of evidence against the accused persons," the charge sheet said, adding that replies to the requests are still awaited.

It claimed that the ISIS cadres had received financial assistance through hawala transactions for the purpose of organising meeting, travel expenses, recruitment and training to carryout the subversive activities of ISIS in India.

"Accused were trying to develop software for secured communication among the members of an organisation Unoon-ul- Khilafa-Fil-Hind, which derived its inspiration from ISIS," it said.

NIA claimed that members of the banned group -- Islamic State (IS) or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) -- in connivance with a few resident and non-resident Indians, have been indulging in identification, radicalisation, recruitment and training.

The charge sheet also alleged that some Indian youths were transferred by the accused to countries like Syria, Libia and Iraq for terror acts.

It also claimed that the accused, who are currently in judicial custody, were using different internet channels/ services, telephone and one-on-one meetings to further the outfit's ideology.

The accused persons against whom the agency filed the charge sheet were Mohd Aleem, Mohd Obaidullah Khan, Nafees Khan, Mohd Shareef Moinuddin Khan, Asif Ali, Najmul Huda, Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh, Mohd Abdul Ahad, Suhail Ahmed, Syed Mujahid, Mohd Hussain Khan, Mohd Afzal, Imran, Abu Anas, Mohd Azhar Khan and Mufti Abdus Sami Qasmi.

They were arrested from different parts of the country for allegedly recruiting and financing people to join the terror organisation.

They were arrested under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC). A case was registered by NIA on December 9, 2015, against unknown and unidentified persons involved in the activities of Islamic State (IS) in India and Asian powers in peace with India.

In this case, NIA had earlier filed a charge sheet against 23-year-old accused Naser Packeer, outlining his modus operandi in identifying, radicalising, recruiting and sending Indians to join the terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

On October 5, 2015, Naser was apprehended in Sudan for concealing his identity and trying to join ISIS in Syria. He was deported to India on December 10, 2015.
It has claimed that several incriminating documents and articles like a laptop, mobile phones, pen drives and DVDs have been seized from the possession from the accused.
The agency had filed a FIR in the matter on December 9 last year against unknown persons on inputs received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).