Terrorism: JMB practised violent Jihad, says NIA

Kolkata, April 2: At times a blast could prove to be lucky. Had that blast not occurred accidentally on Oct 2, 2014 at Burdhwan one could only imagine what the module by the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh would have carried out.

Violent Jihad is the terminology used by the National Investigating Agency which had two days back filed a chargesheet in connection with the case which it calls the Khagragarh, Burdwan case.

A reading of the chargesheet clearly indicates that the JMB was planning on a major operation which could have destablised a government in Bangladesh.

Primary network in West Bengal:

The NIA chargesheet staetes that the JMB has established its network in India primarily in the states of West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand.

Its activities in India primarily included recruitment, radicalisation and training of vulnerable youths in a systematic and organised manner.

In pursuance of the conspiracy, they had established organisational bases at certain districts of West Bengal at Nadia, Burdwan, Murshidabad and Birbhum as well as in Sahebganj district of Jharkhand.

These bases were used for organising radicalisation programs, organisational meetings, fund collection drives, hideouts for cadres and their families.

Overthrowing the Bangladesh regime:

A network of terrorist training camps at selected Madrasas and other hideouts was found to be in operation where selected youths were indoctrinated into the violent jihadi ideology as well as trained for violent action by using explosives and firearms.

The above effort of recruitment, radicalisation and training of vulnerable Indian youths was undertaken by members of JMB for preparing a large group of Indians based on their common religious and linguistic identity, primarily in the Indian states bordering Bangladesh, to join the JMB and utilise them for the movement to overthrow the existing democratic government in Bangladesh.

Charged under various acts:

During course of investigation conducted till date, thirty two persons have been arraigned as accused persons.

Out of these sixteen have been arrested so far. Against two arrested suspects no evidence was found their having any link with present crime.

More than 250 witnesses were examined and around 100 searches were conducted in large number of places across the states of West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand, leading to seizures of huge volumes of documents, computers, explosives, chemicals, arms & ammunition, and other incriminating materials.

The accused persons have been individually charged for commission of various criminal offences under section 16, 17, 18, 20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, as well as section 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 of IPC and section 25 of Arms Act, section 5 of Explosive Substances Act, section 12 of Passports Act and section 14 of Foreigners Act.

These offences include offence of being member of a terrorist gang, commission of terrorist acts and conspiracy for terrorist acts, recruitment, funding of terrorist gang, organising terrorist training camps, possession of arms, ammunition and explosive substances, committing forgery and possessing/using false documents and violations under the Foreigners act and Passports Act.

OneIndia News