LeT-linked T Naseer, six others sentenced in Bengaluru prison radicalisation case after pleading guilty

While the seven-year sentences will run concurrently, the court noted that the time already served in judicial custody will be set off against their prison terms. For many, this could mean release within three to five years.

However, Naseer, who is already serving a life sentence for a separate Kerala-based terror case and remains an undertrial in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts, will see this new sentence run concurrently with his existing life term.

Naseer’s radicalisation plot

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the case from Bengaluru police in October 2023, alleged that Naseer spent over six years from 2017 to 2023 radicalising fellow inmates.

According to the probe, Naseer allegedly motivated inmates to “take up jihad” upon their release. The group allegedly procured country-made pistols, live ammunition, and digital devices to execute future attacks. The NIA stated that Naseer even orchestrated plans for his own escape while being transported to court.

Naseer was arrested in 2009 by the Bengaluru police for his involvement in the 2008 serial blasts in the city, which resulted in one death. He is one of 18 members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI who were convicted in 2018 by an NIA court in Kerala. They received a seven-year sentence for participating in a terror training camp in Vagamon, Kerala.

The initial investigation in Bengaluru revealed that Naseer, who has been in prison for over 13 years, radicalised several members of a group of 20 youths. These youths were incarcerated in the Bengaluru Central Prison between 2017 and 2019 for the murder of a businessman in Bengaluru in October 2017.

The plot first came to light in July 2023 when the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested five youths in possession of seven pistols and 45 live bullets. The youths, many of whom were originally imprisoned for the 2017 murder of a Bengaluru businessman, had allegedly fallen under Naseer’s influence while in custody.

Legal strategy

Legal experts said that pleading guilty has become a strategic move for those accused of terror in Karnataka who have faced prolonged detention. By pleading guilty, they secure a definite conviction and, in some cases, an early release if their time served nearly matches the maximum penalty for the offence.

While seven people have been sentenced, a key figure in the module remains at large. Junaid Ahmed, 29, who allegedly helped coordinate the module after being radicalised by Naseer, is believed to have fled to Dubai in 2021. He remains untraced despite ongoing efforts by international and domestic agencies.

The case also involved one Salman Khan, who was extradited from Rwanda in November 2024, and Vikram Kumar (alias Chota Usman), who was linked to the conspiracy while in custody for a separate Delhi Special Cell case.