NIA charges two with radicalising youths to join IS

Khan too will be eligible for default bail on February 17, when he completes 180 days in custody. NIA counsel Geeta Godambe informed the court that they do not want to discharge the two as further investigation is still in progress.

The case relates to the alleged indoctrination of Ashfak Majeed, whose Mumbai-based father Abdul had approached the Mumbai police in August 2016 with a complaint against Qureshi, Haneef and Khan. He had alleged that they entered into a criminal conspiracy in indoctrinating and recruiting Ashfak, his wife and daughter to join IS.

The NIA took over the case from the Mumbai police and sought custody of the men in November. A separate case against the three was also being investigated by the Kerala Police where the other associates of Ashfak, who went missing along with him, resided.

In its chargesheet, the NIA claims that Ashfak came in contact with Qureshi in Mumbai. Ashfak used to give the reference of Qureshi to youths from his village Kasargod in Kerala stating that the IRF employee was ‘an authority on Islam’, the chargesheet says. The NIA claims that the youngsters who had come under the influence of Qureshi used to visit the IRF office at Dongri as well as his residence in Navi Mumbai during 2014-15.

“Investigation has established that Arshi Qureshi was using his official position in IRF to influence people from other religions to embrance Islam. He used to selectively pick practices and rituals of other religions to compare with Islam and used to motivate them for Hijrah,” the chargesheet reads. Qureshi worked as a guest manager at IRF, founded by televangelist Zakir Naik.

The Mumbai Police had referred this case in its report to Maharashtra chief minister to indict Naik, citing IRF employee’s role in radicalising youths. The NIA in its chargesheet, however, has not mentioned any link of the organisation to this conspiracy.

Other initial allegations including the role of Qureshi in funding Ashfak and the others in joining IS have also been probed by the NIA. The central agency now claims that Abdulla, a Kerala resident working with the Peace Foundation in Kozhikode, had purchased tickets for the group to travel from Mumbai to Tehran via Dubai. The NIA also said that it was Abdulla, a wanted accused suspected to be in Afghanistan, who had paid for the hotel stay of the group while they were in Mumbai.

The NIA also claims that it was Abdulla who used to take classes for the group at Ashfak’s house. “He took lectures on jihad as well as IS ideologies. The videos propagating ISIS ideology and violence were shown to the members,” the chargesheet states. It also claims that Abdulla took initiative in collective farming for the group ‘to practice living a pure Islamic way of life’.

The NIA has booked Abdulla under Sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation), 39 (support to a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention (UAP) Act for his alleged role in entering a criminal conspiracy and joining IS. He has also been booked for arranging meetings, finance, travel and stay of the group.

“Arshi Qureshi was involved in unlawful activities and spreading hatred against India. He provided support to the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS by furthering its activities amongst Ashfaq and the group of missing youths,” the chargesheet states on Qureshi’s role. He has been booked under Sections 13 and 39 of the UAP Act.