NIA court awards eight-years rigorous imprisonment to two men in 2019 ISIS case

Kochi: A NIA court on Monday awarded eight years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) to two Coimbatore residents guilty of recruiting and propagating the ideology of the global terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The Special Court for Trial of NIA Cases convicted Muhammad Azharudeen (27) of Anbu Nagar, Ukkadam, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, and Shiek Hidayathulla alias Firoz Khan (35) of South Ukkadam.

They were found guilty of offences punishable under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 120B (conspiracy), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) section 38 (membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (supporting a terrorist organisation) and convicted them accordingly.

The court ordered to undergo eight years imprisonment each in all these offences. However, the sentence will run concurrently, court ordered.

The case was registered in 2019 after receiving information that Azharudeen and his associates were propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS, with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth for carrying out terrorist attacks in South India, particularly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The investigation was carried out following the Easter terror attack in Sri Lanka in April 2019.

The NIA alleged that accused used to watch speeches of radical speakers like Anwar-Al-Awlaki, Abu Bara, Moosa Cerantonio, Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka and others.

According to NIA, speeches and other materials attributed to the Sri Lankan ISIS leader Zahran Hashim were forensically recovered from the digital devices and social media accounts of the accused. From 2017 onwards until March 2019, they furthered ISIS activities in South India.

NIA said that the accused had visited many places in Kerala since 2017, met their associates at various locations, and conveyed their support to ISIS. Both are also accused in 2022 Coimbatore blast case.