IM men wanted to create Syria-Iraq situation in India: NIA

Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives were following the footsteps of global terrorist organisation ISIS to create a situation in India similar to the one prevailing in Iraq and Syria, the NIA has told a court here.
In an apparent reference to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told the court that their probe has brought out that some of the suspected IM men had wanted to be sent to Syria with other 'jihadis'.
"During chat (e-mail), accused A-26 (absconding IM member Mohammed Shafi Armar) stated that he desired to be dispatched to Syria to work with other jihadis...

"A-26 further stated that he desired that India should also become like Iraq and Syria (where terrorist activities were continuously going on and large scale violence was also taking place)," the NIA said in its supplementary charge sheet filed against 20 suspected top IM operatives.
Out of the 20 accused chargesheeted by NIA, 17 have not been arrested yet while three others, Tehsin Akhtar, Haidar Ali and Zia-ur-Rehman, are in judicial custody in connection with the case relating to a larger conspiracy of the IM to carry out terror activities across the country.
In its supplementary charge sheet filed before District Judge I S Mehta, NIA said that one of the absconding accused, Abdul Khadir Sultan Armar, also wanted to travel to Syria for waging "religious war" with assistance of other international terrorist organisations.

"The accused A-25 (Abdul Khadir Sultan Armar) also wanted to take part in the violent religious war in Afghanistan," NIA alleged, adding, "accused A-26 (Mohammed Shafi Armar) wanted to travel to places in Afghanistan and Syria to work with the Al-Qaeda for the furtherance of conspiracy."
The agency had earlier filed two charge sheets in the case against nine suspected IM operatives, including its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his close aide Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, who were arrested by the NIA on August 28, 2013 in the case.
All these accused have been chargesheeted for the offences under various sections of IPC, including 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the country), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.