NIA charges 9 Al-Qaeda operatives from Bengal, Kerala who were planning attacks on ‘kafirs’

New Delhi, Feb 26: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against 11 members of the Al-Qaeda module from West Bengal and Kerala.

The case was registered by the NIA based on information about an Al Qaeda inspired module operating in the states of West Bengal and Kerala under the leadership of Murshid Hasan.

The members of this module were in the advanced stage of a conspiracy to execute terrorist attacks in different parts of the country. In well synchronised raids conducted on last year in Kerala and Bengal, nine terrorists were arrested. Subsequently two more operatives were arrested from West Bengal.

Investigation revealed that Murshid Hasan was in touch with Al Qaeda handlers based in Pakistan and Bangladesh and had received instructions along with radical propaganda material through encrypted social media platforms from them.

Murshid Hasan along with his other associates conspired to radicalise and recruit more individuals into the Al Qaeda. They disseminated radical material through social media and encrypted chat platforms with an intention to radicalise and recruit others for establishing an Islamic State by waging violent jihad in India.

Investigation also revealed that the group members planned to attack individuals whom they consider Kafirs. The group members had conducted a series of conspiratorial meetings for raising funds for the purchase of arms and ammunitions/explosive materials, radicalising and recruiting more members and charting out the future course of action including establishing a Markaz ( a training centre for providing religious and weapons training to new recruits).

The accused persons were also in active communication with an arms dealer through their foreign based handlers and were planning to receive a consignment of sophisticated arms and ammunitions in New Delhi.

However, their nefarious plans were obviated by their timely arrest by NIA. The accused persons were planning to attack among others, an India based Bangladeshi blogger for his views expressed on social media.