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The National Investigation Agency has filed a supplementary chargesheet in a Karnataka case related to the “Al-Hind ISIS module”, which it says was part of a larger conspiracy of the international terrorist outfit.
In a statement issued on Monday, the NIA said it had chargesheeted two more people in the case related to an alleged conspiracy involving targeted killings and other terrorist activities.
According to the NIA, the newly chargesheeted duo—Abdul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, both residents of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district—had been absconding till their arrest over a blast that injured nine people at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.
Taha and Shazib were arrested from West Bengal on April 12 in the cafe blast case. Investigators suspect Shazib had planted the bomb at the cafe and that Taha was the main conspirator.
In the Al-Hind ISIS module case, the NIA has charged the duo under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Eighteen people have so far been chargesheeted in the case, which the NIA took over from the Bengaluru City police on January 23, 2020.
The NIA has found out that Taha had been self-radicalised and recruited Shazib and others. In 2018, Taha was introduced to an online handler, Bhai alias Laptop Bhai, according to the agency. He went on to introduce Bhai to Mehaboob Pasha, who had allegedly formed the Al-Hind Trust with his family members at Gurappanapalya in Bengaluru City. The NIA found Pasha responsible for passing on an online handler link to Khaja Mohideen, who had joined the Al-Hind Trust along with his associates allegedly to promote ISIS activities in India.
As per the NIA, Taha and Shazib had harboured Thowfeek and Abdul Shameem, who later allegedly murdered Wilson, a special sub-inspector of the Tamil Nadu police, at the Kaliyakkavilai checkpoint on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, with a pistol provided by Pasha.
Investigations in the case are underway.