NIA declares Rs 3L reward on accused in Al-Hind ISIS Bengaluru Module case

The NIA on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for providing information leading to the arrest of absconding accused Abdul Matheen in the Al-Hind ISIS Bengaluru module case, an official said.

Matheen, 26, a resident of Karnataka's Shimoga, is wanted in the case registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the premier investigation agency said.

The case relates to the formation of an ISIS-inspired terror group by Mehboob Pasha along with Khaja Moideen and his associates who were involved in the killing of a Hindu leader in Tamil Nadu, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

Pasha conducted several meetings in 2019 at his residence in Guruppanapalya, Bengaluru to hatch the conspiracy by radicalising and recruiting others to carry out terror activities and join ISIS in Afghanistan/Syria, it said.

Twelve accused Pasha, Imran, Mohammed Haneef Khan, Mohammed Mansoor Ali Khan, Saleem Khan, Hussain Sharieff, Ejaz Pasha, Zabiulla, Syed Azmathulla, Syed Fasiur Rehman, Mohammed Zaid and Sadiq Basha have been arrested in the case so far.

Matheen is a friend of Saleem and Zaid, through whom he contacted Pasha of Al-Hind Trust, Bangaluru and was also associated with his online foreign handler, the NIA said.

A cash reward of Rs 3,00,000 has been declared by the NIA for providing information leading to the arrest of Matheen, the agency added.