NIA files chargesheet in Kanpur ISIS case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet before the NIA Special Court, Lucknow against eight accused persons for being members of the proscribed organisation ISIS and their involvement in the conspiracy to carry out terror acts in furtherance of the activities of ISIS.

The accused persons who have been Charge-sheeted are: Mohammad Faisal, Gauss Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Azhar, Atif Muzaffar, Mohammad Danish, Sayed Meer, Asif Iqbal, and Mohammad Atif.

Action against the accused Saifullah is abated since he is dead.

The case was initially registered by Uttar Pradesh's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) On March 3 this year.

The NIA found that accused persons took Bay'th (oath of allegiance) to the ISIS, hatched a criminal conspiracy with intention to further the terrorist activities, recruited persons, raised funds, organized terrorist camp and carried out terrorist acts. The accused propagated the ideology of the ISIS to attract, motivate and recruit youths in the ISIS for carrying out terrorist acts.

"The accused visited various border areas in India to migrate to ISIS held territories in Iraq-Syria, but having failed there, they procured arms, ammunition and explosives to carry out terrorist acts in India and planned for targeting non-Muslims / Muslims scholars of other Sects and religious places within India. Their hideouts in Lucknow as busted and the IED materials along with incriminating articles were recovered," says the NIA chargesheet.

During the police operation by the UP ATS, one Saifulla was killed.

Mohammad Faisal, Atif Muzzafar along with Saifulla had earlier killed Ramesh Chandra Shukla of Kanpur Nagar on December 24, 2016 in Kanpur.

The NIA chargesheet said that accused persons conducted reconnaissance of Sufi shrine Dewa Sharif in Barabanki and other religious places for planting IEDs.

To further the terrorist activities of the ISIS established, the accused established terrorist camps at Lucknow.

On March 7, Atif Muzzafar, Mohammad Danish and Sayed Meer travelled to Bhopal and planted an IED in a general compartment of Bhopal-Ujjain Train.