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Terror conspiracy case: NIA court to pronounce quantum of punishment for eight convicts
Special security arrangements will be made in and around the special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Lucknow on Monday as the court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment in the case of ISIS terror module busted in Kanpur and Lucknow in March 2017
Special security arrangements will be made in and around the special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Lucknow on Monday as the court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment in the case of ISIS terror module busted in Kanpur and Lucknow in March 2017.
“A proper security will be deployed for the court when the quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Monday,” said a senior Lucknow police official. He said a police team had been asked to coordinate with the court officials in this regard.
Earlier, the court had on Friday (February 24) convicted eight men in a conspiracy case of planning terrorist acts. These ISIS operatives had been arrested in the Kanpur conspiracy case in 2017 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act. Those convicted included Mohd Faisal, Asif Iqbal, alias Rocky, Sayyed Mir Hussain, Mohd Danish, Atif Muzaffar, Mohd Azhar, Gaus Mohammed and Atif alias Atif Irani. The case in the matter was initially registered at UP Anti-Terror Squad police station in Lucknow on March 8, 2017 and re-registered by NIA on March 14, 2017.
The NIA investigations revealed that the accused had prepared and tested some improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and had unsuccessfully tried to plant them at various locations in Uttar Pradesh. A notebook seized from Haji Colony under Kakori police station limits on Hardoi road in Lucknow, the hideout used by some of the operatives, was containing handwritten notes about potential targets and details about bomb making.
The probe had led to the discovery of several photographs of the accused making IEDs and even with weapons, ammunition and ISIS flag. The group had reportedly collected illegal weapons, explosives etc from various places.
Investigation further revealed that Atif and three others identified as Mohd Danish, Syed Meer Hasan and Mohd Saifulla had been responsible for fabricating the IED that was planted in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train on March 7, 2017 that had left 10 passengers injured. This case was also investigated by NIA and is currently under trial.
The accused, Saifulla, was killed during exchange of fire with the UP ATS on March 7, 2017, in Haji Colony of Lucknow. The police had seized several weapons and incriminating documents from the group’s hideout in Haji Colony. The breakthrough in the ISIS-backed criminal conspiracy case came when the main accused identified as Mohd Faisal of Kanpur city was arrested for his involvement in the Bhopal train explosion of March 7, 2017.
Disclosures made by him led to the arrest of two of his associates Gaus Mohammad Khan alias Karan Khatri on March 9, 2017. A chargesheet was filed by NIA against all the eight arrested accused on August 31, 2017.
