How a painstaking probe by NIA resulted in death sentences to 7 ISIS terrorists

Several Intelligence Bureau reports in recent times have spoken about the Islamic State trying to take the space of the banned Popular Front of India.

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA)in Lucknow had earlier this week awarded death sentences to seven terrorists in connection with an Islamic State case.

In another case, a special court in Ahmedabad sentenced two persons to ten years of rigorous imprisonment in the Islamic State, Rajkot case.

Going through the charges in the case, OneIndia has learnt that these persons had a massive plan in hand to carry out a series of attacks across the country. Had the NIA not busted this module the consequences would have been devastating an official explained to this correspondent.

Eight accused persons from Uttar Pradesh, Atif Muzzafar, Mohammad Danish, Mohammad Atif, Mohammad Faisal, Mohammad Azhar and Gauss Mohammad Khan had set up a hideout in the Haji Colony in Lucknow. Over the month they had used this hideout to test IEDs. They were however unsuccessful in planting these IEDs in various parts of the city.

Investigation by the agency led to the discovery of the accused persons preparing the IEDs. A flag of the Islamic State and some weapons too were recovered from the hideout.

Further it was learnt that the same module was responsible for the explosion on the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train on March 7 2017.

Following this incident, the module focused on carrying out more blasts in various parts of the country. They had explored land routes and even visited key cities in India, including Kolkata, Sundarbans, Srinagar, Amritsar, Wagha Border, Badmer, Jaisalmer, Mumbai and Kozhikode.

The NIA also found that the accused persons had even explored a route to cross over to Bangladesh via Sundarbans. In March 2016, Faisal and Atif had travelled to Kashmir in a bid to get in touch with a terror group which could help them cross over to Pakistan.

In the Rajkot Islamic State, the NIA learnt that the accused persons were in regular touch with their handlers. They had extensive discussions with their handlers and were drawing out targets to attack. They had identified the shops of several non-Muslims and had planned on planting IEDs there and carry out explosions, the agency learnt. Further they had even surveyed the Chotila Temple. However, concrete Intelligence and swift action led to their arrests. Had they not been apprehended on time, they would have orchestrated these attacks, which would have led to chaos and communal tension, the official cited above explained.

An Intelligence Bureau official explains that the Islamic State through its online propaganda channels has managed to set up many such mini modules across India. The outfit is not looking to set up just one major module with a unified command. It wants self-radicalised youth to set up such modules and orchestrate attacks in different parts of the country. It is part of its low cost or no cost tactic, which it implements in other countries as well. Moreover there is a need to remain on high-alert at all given times as the Islamic State will look to use members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) to further its activities, the official also said.