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Journalism of Courage
ANOTHER ACCUSED booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for links with terrorist organisation ISIS pleaded guilty on Thursday. Shahid Khan, who has spent nearly six years in jail, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment. Khan’s co-accused Abu Bakr Yafai had similarly accepted guilt earlier this month on May 6.
The men, along with two others, were arrested in Parbhani by the Maharashtra ATS in 2016 for allegedly wanting to join ISIS, being in touch with a handler, and planning an attack. The case was transferred to the NIA which filed its chargesheet against the four in 2017. While charges were framed, the trial is yet to begin.
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Khan approached court on Thursday and submitted that he wanted to plead guilty. Among the grounds submitted by him in his plea was the delay in the commencement of the trial. Khan has been held guilty under charges including section 18 (conspiracy), 18B (recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act), section 20 (member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
This is the second case linked to ISIS being prosecuted by the NIA where the accused have sought to plead guilty. Apart from Khan and Yafai, two others, Iqbal Ahmed Kabir Ahmed and Mohammed Rasiuddin, continue to face trial. Ahmed was granted bail by the Bombay High Court last year citing the long period of incarceration.
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