NIA files chargesheet against 10 terrorists of Jihadi gang 'Shahadat is our Goal'

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against ten terrorists of a jihadi gang 'Shahadat is our Goal' in a Chennai Court.

"The probe establishes that accused were radicalised by violent Jihadi ideology. Prime accused Sheik Dawood and Mohamed Rifas had attempted to carry out terror acts by procuring illegal firearms," NIA officials said.

Apart from Dawood and Rifas, NIA has charge-sheeted Muparish Ahamed, Abubakar Siddiq, Hameed Asfar, Ahamed Imithiyas, Mohamed Rashid, Liyakath Ali, Sajith Ahamed and Rizwan Mohammed. They have been booked under sections 120B, 153A, 121A and 122 of IPC, sections 13 and 18 of UA (P) Act and section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act.

This case was originally registered as FIR 46/ 2018 dated April 2, 2018, under sections 153A and 120B of Indian Penal Code, sections 15(c), 17, 18, 19 and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and sections 25(1)(a) of Arms Act, 1959 at Keelakarai Police Station in Ramnathapuram district of Tamil Nadu after the arrest of accused Rifas, Ahamed and Siddiq from Keelakarai.

Lethal weapons including swords, along with pamphlets pertaining to the terrorist gang 'Shahadat is our Goal' were seized from their possession.

NIA re-registered the case as RC-01/2019/NIA/DLI on January 10 in 2019 and initiated an investigation, which established that the charge-sheeted accused persons were radicalized by violent jihadi ideology.

The prime accused that Dawood and Rifas had conspired with co-accused and orgsed meetings at various places in Tamil Nadu, since Ramadan, 2017, with the intention of radicalising and recruiting the co-accused and others for shahadat (getting themselves killed) to establish Islamic rule in India.

"The accused had created various social media groups, especially on WhatsApp and were disseminating materials advocating violent jihad, including the videos and speeches of the Sri Lankan Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) leader Zahran Hashim," NIA said.

The accused had also prepared pamphlets titled "Shahadat is our Goal" calling for violent jihad to liberate their associates lodged in prisons, they added.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, accused Dawood and Rifas had also attempted to carry out terrorist acts by procuring illegal firearms in order to liberate their associates lodged in prisons, NIA said.

Further investigation is underway.

( With inputs from ANI )