Delhi court convicts 4 AQIS operatives for terror conspiracy
Feb 10, 2023
New Delhi [India], February 10 : A Delhi court on Friday convicted four operatives of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) in a conspiracy of terror activities in the country and recruitment for the AQIS.
Special Judge Sanjay Khanagwal of Patiala House Court convicted Mohd Asif, Mohd Abdul Rehman, Zafar Masood, and Abdul Sami under sections 18 (Conspiracy for Terror Act)
and 18B (Recruitment for Terror Act) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The court said that the Prosecution proved the allegations beyond reasonable doubt against these accused persons under the UAPA.
The court is likely to hear the arguments on the quantum of the sentence on February 14. The maximum sentence under the sections is life imprisonment.
However, the court acquitted two co-accused Syed Mohd. Zeeshan Ali and Dr Sabeel Ahmad in the matter. These accused persons were represented by advocate MS Khan and Qausar Khan. They submitted that the prosecution failed to prove the case against them.
The judge directed their release on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.
While framing charges against six accused persons in 2017, discharged one accused namely Syed Anzar Shah.
It was alleged by the Delhi police that Rehman ran a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh. He was trying to radicalise the youths who enrolled there for terror activities.
It was also alleged that Masood was propagating the terror agenda of the outfit among the youths in order to attract them towards the AQIS.
Accused Asif was arrested from Seelampur, Delhi, and Rehman was arrested from Jagatpur in Cuttack in Odisha by the Delhi police.
Delhi police submitted that Rehman was suspected to have international links in the middle East and Pakistan.
According to Delhi police, in the month of December 2015, the Delhi police Special cell got information that Al-Qaeda is trying to set up its base in India under the banner of Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and had declared one Asim Umar as its Amir, police said.
It was also informed that some youth from Western UP districts have already left India and joined its cadre in Pakistan and one of its modules is active in the Sambhal District of UP.
During the investigation, it was revealed that one Mohd. Asif resident of Deepa Sarai, Sambhal, UP had visited foreign destinations including Iran and Turkey and is involved in suspicious activities. Accordingly, sources were intensified in the area of Sambhal, UP.
On December 14, 2015, a team of Special Cell apprehended Mohd. Asif who was found to be the India head of AQIS.
On the basis of his revelations, accused Zafar Masood @ Guddu was arrested from Sambhal, UP on December 15, 2015, and Mohd. Abdul Rehman from Cuttack, Odisha on December 16, 2015.
It was found that Mohd. Abdul Rehman had visited Pakistan illegally and met top militants there including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Sajid, both wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks.
Thereafter, accused Abdul Sami resident of Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) was apprehended from Mewat, Haryana on January 17, 2016. He was a Pak-trained militant.
Delhi police also said during the investigation that the names of accused Syed Mohd. Zeeshan Ali and Dr Sabeel Ahmad also surfaced as part of a conspiracy for providing financial and logistics assistance to the cadres of AQIS in UAE.
Accused Syed Mohd. Zeeshan Ali was deported from UAE in the year 2017 and was arrested in this case whereas the accused Dr Sabeel Ahmad was deported in the year 2020.
Sabeel was initially arrested in a terror case of Bengaluru (Karnataka) by NIA from IGI Airport, Delhi and later on, he was arrested in this case, Delhi police said.
