NIA chargesheets five JMB ultras in Barpeta case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it had filed a chargesheet against five alleged members of terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the Barpeta JMB module case.

The five were accused of procuring weapons and ammunition in order to commit terrorist acts in pursuance of jihadi ideology.

An NIA spokesperson said that the chargesheet was filed in the NIA Special Court here against Hafizur Rahman, Yakub Ali, Sariful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Hafiz Safikul Islam under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency took over the probe in December 2019 on the basis of a case registered at Barpeta Police Station in Assam.

Acting on information about a trained JMB suspect, Barpeta Police searched the house of one Rahman in Barpeta on July 30, 2019 and allegedly seized a countrymade revolver, four rounds of ammunition and jihadi literature from his possession.

On his disclosure, alleged trained JMB cadres, namely Ali, Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Hafiz Safikul Islam were arrested.

The NIA official said its probe revealed they were members of JMB, a terror organization proscribed in India and Bangladesh.

The official pointed out that the accused were recruited by Sahanur Alom aka Sahanur Alam of Barpeta district, earlier arrested by the NIA while probing the Burdwan blast case of October 10, 2014.

Alom has already been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in India and recruiting and training other members of JMB.

He said that the accused were trained at Alom's house in Barpeta, with several others at Simulia Madrasa in West Bengal too.

( With inputs from IANS )