ISIS Pune Module | Accused used GoPros, drones to carry out recon: NIA chargesheet

It said that code words like ‘shirka’ were used for sulphuric acid, ‘rose water’ for acetone and ‘sharbat’ for hydrogen peroxide were used.

The agency also said that it analysed the electronic gadgets including phones, laptops and drone seized from the accused, claiming that it showed that recce of vital installation places was carried out and that they accused travelled to various places “in search of prospective targets, planned hideouts, places for organising training camps and IED explosion practice places” and captured videos/photos through their phones and a drone camera. The NIA has also alleged that the accused were in touch with foreign handlers who were updated about the progress in their plans including a ‘memoir’ on their time in a jungle which was sent to them.

The Pune City police team on July 18 had arrested Imran Khan (22), Yunus Saki (27) and their aide Shahnawaz Alam (31), while they were allegedly trying to steal a vehicle from the Kothrud area of the city. Alam escaped from their custody when the suspects were being taken for a house search in Kondhwa. He is named as an absconding accused in the case.

What earlier appeared to be a simple vehicle theft case, however, was claimed to be a terror case after police allegedly found explosive material in their house. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) then took over the investigation of the case on July 22 and invoked sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Later the probe was handed over to the NIA.

The chargesheet last week was filed against Khan (22), Saki (27) both vegetable vendors, Kadeer Pathan (35), a graphic designer, Seemab Kazi (23), a senior programmatic executive in a US based company, Zulfikar Barodawala (44), an associate director in a private company, Shamil Nachan (32), who has a timber business and Aakif Nachan (44), involved in construction business. They were arrested in August.

The agency has also named five persons as wanted accused including  Alam, Rizwan Ali, Abdullah Shaikh, Talha Khan and Mohammed alias Bhai, allegedly a foreign handler.

The agency claims they are members of ISIS. It claims that several conspiracy meetings were held in Pune during which plans were made to recruit more members and a WhatsApp group was created for online lectures on “radical ideology” related to Jihad and Khilafat. They claimed that under the garb of religious preaching, the accused aimed to radicalise the conspirators and plan terror attacks in India to show support to ISIS.

The agency claims that various incriminating articles including handwritten notes on the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) were seized during the probe from the accused. The NIA also said that it had seized a primary explosive as well as literature on procedures for preparation of IED from the accused. A report from the Ministry of Defence said that using the literature and material seized by the NIA, “it is possible for preparation of IEDs”.  The agency claimed that its analysis shows that the handwriting in the seized notes matches that of Pathan and Shamil.

It also claimed that two of the accused purchased tents and other materials for camping in the jungle in Pune, Kolhapur and Satara districts and reported about the progress during their “jungle voyage” to their foreign-based handler. The agency seized a file named “Bhola Mola” containing a memoir of a jungle visit.

The agency is also said to have found country made pistols from the homes of Imran and Saki.

The chargesheet claimed that Zulfikar provided funds of Rs 2 lakh to meet expenses of co-accused and for funds for procurement of material for IED. Other transactions of Rs 40,000 and an excel sheet of over Rs 7 lakh between the accused were also under scanner, which showed expenses including Himalayan Bike, GoPro camera, tours in Pune and other places, the chargesheet mentioned.

The agency claims that Zulfikar was radicalised and wanted to meet like-minded people. It was claimed that he began visiting Padgha “which they believed to be a liberated zone like Al-Sham” (Syria) from 2022. It was claimed that conspiracy meetings were held between the accused in Padgha and Pune. Aakif is also alleged to have visited Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and attended meetings with other accused persons booked by NIA in Jaipur. The NIA filed the chargesheet on Saturday after a special court refused to grant a second extension to the agency to file its chargesheet. Another case has also been filed in a related matter. A chargesheet is yet to be filed in that.