3 Al Qaeda-linked operatives sentenced to life imprisonment by NIA court in Lucknow

Lucknow: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Monday sentenced three operatives of Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwatul Hind to life imprisonment for conspiring to wage war against the government of India and planning terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh. Special Judge (NIA) Jainendra Kumar Pandey convicted Mushiruddin, Minhaz and Tauheed and also imposed fines on them, officials said, adding that while Minhaz and Mushiruddin have been fined Rs 1.42 lakh each, Tauheed has been fined Rs 85,000.

According to the prosecution, the accused were part of a larger conspiracy to recruit members, collect arms and explosives, and carry out bomb blasts at crowded places and sensitive installations in the state, particularly in Lucknow.

Special Public Prosecutor M K Singh said the case originated from a report lodged by ATS Inspector Sushil Kumar Singh on July 11, 2021, after receiving intelligence inputs about efforts by an Al Qaeda operative based in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region to recruit members for terrorist activities in India.

The investigation revealed that Minhaz was contacted online and subsequently conspired with other accused to recruit youths for Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.

Mushiruddin was allegedly recruited to execute attacks in UP, while the accused also conducted reconnaissance of potential targets, the prosecutor said.

On July 11, 2021, the ATS raided Minhaz's residence in the Dubagga-Kakori area of Lucknow and recovered a large quantity of explosives, an illegal pistol, live cartridges and an improvised explosive device, leading to the arrest of Minhaz and Mushiruddin.

During the probe, the names of other accused, including Mohammad Moeed, Shakeel and Mohammad Mustaqeem, also surfaced, officials said.

The prosecution said the group had planned to carry out blasts on August 15, 2021, allegedly in reaction to the Ram Mandir verdict, targeting crowded places and sensitive sites.

Given the gravity of the case, the investigation was later handed over to the NIA, which filed a supplementary chargesheet on July 29, 2021, after conducting a detailed probe.

The NIA examined 42 witnesses and placed 149 documents and 109 material exhibits before the court to substantiate the charges.

Further legal proceedings against the other accused in the case are continuing, officials added.