New terror case in Bengaluru suggests active role of prison modules in radicalising small-time criminals

The new case suggests that Nasir, who has been in prison for over 13 years, radicalised a few members of a group of 20 youths who were lodged in the Bengaluru Central Prison between 2018 and 2019 over an attempt to murder a businessman in north Bengaluru in October 2017.

The charge of alleged radicalisation of youths in prisons by people incarcerated for long terms in terrorism cases has been seen in a few recent cases in Karnataka with a special court in March 2023 convicting two terror case prisoners, Mohammed Fahad and Afsar Pasha, for unlawful activities over their indoctrination in the Bengaluru prison in 2012 by Abdul Rehman, an accused in a criminal case.

In the latest case, as per the Bengaluru police, Nasir inspired Junaid Ahmed, 28, one of the 20 youths arrested in 2017 in the attempt to murder case, to take up the cause of his religion, and facilitated the creation of a five-member module working under Junaid’s leadership.

While Junaid, who has two criminal cases against him in Bengaluru, has not been arrested on account of his leaving the country for Dubai around 2021, the CCB has so far arrested five of his associates – Suhail Ahmed, 24; Mohammed Umar, 29; Jahid Tabrej, 25; Syed Mudassir Pasha, 28; and Faizal Rabbani, 30. All five also featured in the 2017 attempted murder case with Junaid, according to available court and police records for the two cases.

“The arrested were radicalised by Nasir and then hatched a conspiracy to carry out incidents that could affect law and order in the city. Based on information, we managed to arrest the accused,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda announced on July 19 soon after the arrests of the five youths.

“We are still investigating how they procured the weapons and grenades (four were found at the home of one of the suspects a day after the arrests). We are trying to find out their intent,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) S D Sharanappa said.

According to police sources, the CCB decided to act on the information provided by central agencies after learning that the youths had obtained access to guns, ammunition and other logistics that could be used in a possible attack. The police see Junaid as the key person in guiding the other suspects to collect the weapons and ammunition.

“It was Junaid Ahmed and his family who were greatly influenced by T Nasir’s indoctrination. He was probably helped by the prisoner to leave the country. When Junaid was arrested in 2017, he and his associates were lodged in the same barracks as Nasir. In 2020, when Junaid, his parents and others were accused in a sandalwood smuggling case, Junaid evaded arrest but his parents and associates who were arrested were protected in the prison in the barracks where Nasir was lodged,” police sources said.

Investigations in the case so far have revealed that the seven country-made pistols were delivered at a drop-off point on the outskirts of Bengaluru indicated by Junaid, sources said. The suspects allegedly travelled in a car belonging to Rabbani to the outskirts and picked up the weapons from a designated spot indicated by a supplier.

“The grenades that were seized were planted at our home by the police. My brother would never engage in such activities. He would go to work and the gym and come home. He is now being called a terrorist,” Awais T, the elder brother of Jahid Tabrej said after the arrests.

The five persons arrested so far have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Arms Act and for conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

According to police sources, prisons are considered to be key recruiting grounds for suspected terror activities and there have been several instances where prisoners have played roles in the indoctrination of people incarcerated for short periods in lesser crimes.

In March 2023, a court for terrorism cases in Bengaluru convicted Mohammed Fahad Koya, a Pakistani national who has been in prison since 2006 for a terror conspiracy; Afsar Pasha, a convict in a terror case linked to radicalisation who was arrested in 2006; and a petty criminal Abdul Rehman, who was briefly incarcerated in a case in Bengaluru but was allegedly indoctrinated in prison and obtained a gun through alleged LeT links provided by Koya and Pasha in the year 2012.

Convicts have been also linked by police to the indoctrination of youths like Mohammed Jabiullah, who was arrested by the Shivamogga police last year for being a part of an alleged terror module and a stabbing incident. Jabiullah reportedly came under the influence of a terror accused who has been in prison since 2006 while he was lodged in the Belagavi prison in 2018 for a petty crime.