NIA court sentences Bangladeshi man to six-year jail in terror conspiracy case

Kolkata: A Bangladeshi man was, on Thursday, sentenced to six years of rigourous imprisonment by a special NIA court here in a terror conspiracy case.

Najiur Rahman Pavel alias Joyram Byapari alias Joseph has been sentenced under different sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Foreigners Act and Indian Passport Act, a statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him, it said.

The conviction came in the case originally registered by the Kolkata police in July 2021 with regard to the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals SK Shabbir, Joseph and others into India, the probe agency said.

"Members/sympathisers of JMB (proscribed outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh) had hatched a conspiracy along with their unknown associates to wage a war against India by recruiting and motivating young Muslim youth from within India and Bangladesh," the NIA said.

The youth were motivated to establish a 'Caliphate' by removing India's democratically elected government through use of criminal force, it added.

The NIA, which took over the case in August 2021, filed its main chargesheet against five accused persons in January 2022. All five are currently in judicial custody.

Another accused Rabiul Islam was sentenced to five years of rigourous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 20,000 in November 2024 in the case, the NIA said, adding that the trial against the remaining three accused is continuing.