IS Twitter Handle: Mehdi Biswas to be charged with international terrorism

Biswas, originally from West Bengal, was arrested on December 13, 2014 after UK’s Channel 4 “identified” him as operator of the pro-IS Twitter handle.

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Mehdi indicated that his activities were limited to posting and reposting of pro-ISIS material on his twitter account and social media sites.

The Centre has accorded permission to Bangalore police for pressing international terrorism charges against Mehdi Masroor Biswas, who was arrested last year for allegedly operating pro-Islamic State (IS) Twitter handle @shamiwitness.

Bangalore’s Central Crime Branch police is scheduled to file the chargesheet against 24-year-old Biswas in the next few days. At first, a preliminary chargesheet will be filed. Police will file a final chargesheet once Twitter furnishes data on some international accounts of IS fighters and supporters, sources said.

Biswas, originally from West Bengal, was arrested on December 13, 2014 after UK’s Channel 4 “identified” him as operator of the pro-IS Twitter handle. At the time of his arrest, he was working as an executive at a multinational food company.

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He was initially booked under Section 125 of the IPC for “waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with the Government of India’’ and under Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for supporting a terrorist organisation. Now he is set to be chargesheeted under Section 15 and Section 18 of the UAPA, which refer to actions that are likely to “strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country’’ and to advocating acts of terrorism.

While a crime under IPC’s Section 125 is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment, offences under Section 15, 18 and 39 of the UAPA attract five years in jail each.

The sanction to prosecute Mehdi for terrorism in a foreign country was accorded by the government last week, sources said. They added that Mehdi would be charged, among other things, for assisting foreign fighters to join the IS ranks by providing leads on how to cross over from the Turkish border to Syria, for tweeting about the possible killing of UK aid worker Peter Kassig before he was actually killed, for using the death of UK jihadist Iftikhar Jaman for IS propaganda and for direct messaging with several known British IS fighters.

Investigations have revealed that a Syria-based IS fighter had consulted Biswas via Twitter about possible routes for entry into Turkey from Syria. A June 23, 2014, tweet by @shamiwitness to @TalabAlHaqq stating “Tal Abyad crossing open now’’ is set to be placed in court as key evidence to show that Biswas aided the entry of IS fighters into Syria.

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Two Indian youths from Bangalore and Chennai will be produced as witnesses to establish the influence of @shamiwitness in motivating people to join IS, sources said.

A special court dealing with terrorism cases had rejected a bail plea filed by Biswas two months ago on technical grounds.

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