A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has convicted two more accused involved in a terror conspiracy hatched by banned Al Qaeda and sentenced them to jail terms of 20 months, an official statement on Saturday said.
An NIA court convicted two Lucknow men in Al Qaeda terror conspiracy case, sentencing them to 20 months in prison. (ANI Photo) (naeem ansari)
The arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad had taken place on July 11, 2021 on the basis of information that Al Qaeda member Umar Halmandi was involved in radicalisation and recruitment of members for AQIS (Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) in Lucknow, the statement said.
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"Umar, who was based at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was operating in Lucknow with the aim of preparing youth to carry out terrorist acts before Independence Day 2021 in various cities of Uttar Pradesh, it was found during the probe in the case," it said.
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"Umar, who was based at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was operating in Lucknow with the aim of preparing youth to carry out terrorist acts before Independence Day 2021 in various cities of Uttar Pradesh, it was found during the probe in the case," it said.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
