MANGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a Chargesheet against two accused in the Shivamogga Islamic State (IS) conspiracy case on Thursday.
The case relates to the conspiracy hatched to further the activities of IS by carrying out acts of arson, sabotage and violence in Karnataka. The NIA re-registered the case in September 2022 and took over the investigations of the case registered by Karnataka Police after the stabbing of one Prem Singh at Shivamogga on August 15, 2022 by accused Zabiulla and others, the NIA stated in a release.
Maaz Muneer Ahmed, 23, and Syed Yasin, 22, of Shivamogga have been charged under sections 120B, 121A and 122 of IPC, 1860, sections 18, 18B, 20 & 38 of UA(P)Act, 1967 and sections 4 (i) & 5 of ES Act, 1908 and section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
"Both BTech graduates had been radicalised and motivated by an online foreign based handler to target public and private properties, including warehouses, liquor outlets, hardware shops, vehicles and properties belonging to citizens belonging to a particular community. In furtherance of conspiracy hatched by the IS, Maaz and Yasin had committed over 25 incidents of arson and sabotage. The level of their commitment is evident from their activities. Maaz and Syed Yasin both went to Agumbe and Varahi river backwaters forest area of Shivamogga district for trekking and recce for hideouts. They procured explosives and prepared to fabricate an IED. Syed Yasin conducted a trial explosion of one of the IEDs at Varahi riverbank in Shivamogga. He also burnt an Indian National Flag and recorded a video to establish his anti-India credentials," the NIA stated.
These IS terror operatives were being paid in crypto currencies by their online handler by fund transfers from abroad, the agency said.
"Investigations have revealed that Maaz received Crypto equivalent to around Rs 1.5 lakh from the online handler into accounts of his friends, whereas Syed Yasin received Rs 62,000 into the account of a friend. As part of the larger IS conspiracy, accused Mohamed Shariq had planned to carry out an IED blast at Kadri Temple in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022. However, the IED had exploded prematurely due to timer malfunction, when Shariq was enroute to the target location averting a potential disaster. Further investigations against six other arrested accused persons are in progress,” the release stated.
