Indian Mujahideen Case: 10 Yr Imprisonment To 5th Accused

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Delhi on Thursday sentenced 10 years of imprisonment to Syed Maqbool, one of the accused in the Indian Mujahideen conspiracy case.

Maqbool was previously convicted on September 22, 2023, by the special judge of the NIA special court in the national capital. He is the fifth accused among the total of 11 against whom sentence has been pronounced.

A resident of Maharashtra’s Nanded, Maqbool was arrested in the case on February 28, 2013, for his active involvement with members of Indian Mujahideen based in Pakistan and India and involvement in the crime and conspiracy.

NIA investigation revealed that the accused maintained close ties with key figures of the Indian Mujahideen, including Riyaz Bhatkal, who is based in Pakistan, and Imran Khan and Obaid-Ur-Rehman, who are located in India. “They hatched a conspiracy to carry out explosive attacks at various locations within India, with Hyderabad being a primary target. Extensive reconnaissance of important sites, including those in Hyderabad, was also conducted.”

The case pertains to the conspiracy hatched by the members of the Indian Mujahideen, a group responsible for organizing a series of devastating blasts across the country, said the NIA.

These acts of terror include the Varanasi blasts on March 7, 2006; the Mumbai serial blasts on July 11, 2006; the Uttar Pradesh courts serial blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad, and Lucknow on November 23, 2007; the Hyderabad twin blasts on August 25, 2007; the Jaipur serial blasts in 2008; the Delhi serial blasts in 2008; the Ahmedabad serial blasts on July 26, 2008; the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bangalore in 2010; and the Hyderabad twin blasts in 2013.

Earlier, on July 12 this year, four accused, namely Danish Ansari, Aftab Alam, Imran Khan, and Obaid-Ur-Rehman, were found guilty under sections 18, 19, 38(2), and 39(2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case. They were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.

In March 31st this year, charges were formally framed against the aforementioned accused individual, along with ten others, including Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Akhtar, Zia-Ur-Rehman, Tehsin Akhter and Hyder Ali. The sentencing was done by the learned NIA Special Court in New Delhi under sections 121 and 122 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as sections 17, 18, 19, 21, 38, 39, and 40 of the UA(P) Act.

The trial in this case, pertaining to the remaining six accused persons named above, who face a range of charges under the IPC and the UA(P) Act, is ongoing. (ANI)