3 Bangladeshi nationals convicted for harbouring banned outfit’s members
MUMBAI: A special court on Thursday sentenced three Bangladeshi nationals to five years rigorous imprisonment for harbouring members of banned Islamic outfit, Ansarullah Bangla Team, alleged to be a front organisation of the Al Qaeda
MUMBAI: A special court on Thursday sentenced three Bangladeshi nationals to five years rigorous imprisonment for harbouring members of banned Islamic outfit, Ansarullah Bangla Team, alleged to be a front organisation of the Al Qaeda.
The Pune unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had originally arrested the five Bangladeshi nationals in March 2018, on the grounds that they entered India using forged documents and were aiding members of the banned Islamic outfit.
As per the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which later took over the probe, the three accused, Mohammed Habibur Rehman Habib, Hannan Anwar Hussain Khan and Mohd Azarali Subhanallah, have been sentenced to five years imprisonment under the Foreigners Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The special court had on October 9, 2023, sentenced two of their accomplices who were also arrested in the case - Mohammed Ropen Hossain and Mohd Hassanali Mohd Amirali - to five years imprisonment after they pleaded guilty. The NIA said the five were working as labourers at various construction sites in Pune without any valid documents.
The case was transferred to the NIA in May 2018 based on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The investigating body claimed that the five Bangladeshi nationals entered India without valid documents in 2007, 2012, and 2014 and fraudulently obtained PAN card, Aadhar card, Voter IDs and ration cards in fictitious names using forged documents. Using those documents, they had procured SIM cards and applied for employment at various construction sites in Pune and were helping the members of the banned organisation.
Initially, the ATS Pune, after receiving information from their sources, had arrested three Bangladeshi nationals - Mohammed Habib, Mohammed Ropen and Hannan Khan - after registering an FIR on March 16, 2018, under various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention act, Foreigners Act, Passport Act, and various sections of IPC. A few days later, on March 19, 2018, they nabbed two more accomplices - Mohd Hassanali and Mohd Azarali.
The NIA, in a press release on November 28, stated that the Bangladeshi nationals were involved in harbouring and funding several members of the banned outfit, including a key member called Samad Mia.
The NIA filed a chargesheet against the five in September 2018. Subsequently, charges were framed against them on April 22, 2019. Two of them, Mohd Ropen and Mohd Hassanali, had filed applications, pleading guilty for the offences registered under the Foreigners Act and various sections of the IPC, including criminal conspiracy and forgery. The detailed order copy is yet to be made available.