Three persons were found guilty on Tuesday by a National Investigation Agency special court at Kochi in an Islamic State (IS) recruitment case.
Midhilaj, Abdul Razak and U K Hamza—all natives of Kannur district in north Kerala—were found guilty under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code. Their sentencing will be done on Friday.
The case is regarding the 2017 recruitment of people from Valapattanam in Kannur. Around 15 persons from various parts of Kannur were allegedly recruited to the terror outfit IS.
The local police initially registered the case, and later the NIA took over the investigation.
The three convicted had sought relaxation in their sentence, citing they did not follow the IS ideologies anymore, and had also been in prison for the past several years.
Over the past few years, over 100 persons from Kerala, including professionally qualified men and women, reportedly crossed borders to join the IS. Many were reportedly killed in encounters.
Published 12 July 2022, 13:43 IST