NIA gets set for trial in all important Kerala Wagamon terror camp case

The verdict in the Panayikulam Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) camp case may have not gone exactly how the NIA would have wanted it to have. Out of the 17 accused only 5 were convicted.

However NIA hopes that the verdict would be a favourable one in the all important Wagamon terror training camp, the trial of which is expected to commence next month.

The Wagamon training camp trial is of extreme importance for the NIA. It was the camp which was alleged to have given birth to home grown terror in India which also saw the mushrooming of the Indian Mujahideen.

NIA officials say that a conviction in such cases is very important. There is no doubt about a huge radicalisation process that is on in Kerala and if convictions are handed out it would set a good precedent the NIA official also pointed out.

The Wagamon case is regarding a training camp that was held by the members of the SIMI. Several operatives from across the country allegedly took part in this camp. The camp was meant to set an agenda for the terror activities to be carried out in India.

Preparations on for the trial

The NIA is making preparations for the trial in the Wagamon camp. The special NIA court will rely on video conferencing as most of the accused are lodged in the Sabarmathi jail in Gujarat for offences committed in that state.

It would be difficult to shift these persons for the trial owing to security reasons, the NIA says.

The case has over 30 accused persons. Nine are from Karnataka, four from Kerala, 8 from Madhya Pradesh, two from Jharkhand, three from Uttar Pradesh, one from Maharashtra and ten from Gujarat. These members have also been responsible for the Gujarat blasts.

For the NIA this is a very important case. The conviction of these persons would bring to close a massive probe that was undertaken by the central agency.

This camp was aimed at launching a terror movement in India. It was here that the accused persons decided on how to go about launching terror strikes. It was following this camp that the Indian Mujahideen was born and went on to launch a series of terror strikes across the country.

OneIndia News