NIA raids 6 districts in IS conspiracy case | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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NIA raids 6 districts in IS conspiracy case

Jan 07, 2023 12:33 AM IST

Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh of Udupi district and Huzair Farhan Baig of Shivamogga district were arrested during searches at six locations in Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru districts, NIA said in the statement.

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two alleged operatives of the terror group Islamic State (IS) from Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, as it raided six locations in the state in connection with a conspiracy hatched by the terror group to further its activities in India, the agency said in statement on Thursday.

Searches were conducted in connection with a case which was initially registered at the Shivamogga (Rural) police station on September 19 last year, and later re-registered by NIA on November 15. (AFP)
Searches were conducted in connection with a case which was initially registered at the Shivamogga (Rural) police station on September 19 last year, and later re-registered by NIA on November 15. (AFP)

Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh of Udupi district and Huzair Farhan Baig of Shivamogga district were arrested during searches at six locations in Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru districts, NIA said in the statement.

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Searches were conducted in connection with a case which was initially registered at the Shivamogga (Rural) police station on September 19 last year, and later re-registered by NIA on November 15.

The case relates to a conspiracy hatched by the accused to further the terror activities of banned terror outfit IS, and to endanger the unity, security and sovereignty of the country, the statement said.

“Investigations have revealed that the accused Maaz Muneer radicalised his close associate and college-mate Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh. And the two accused, Sheikh and Baig, received funds from their ISIS handler through crypto-wallets for furthering the terrorist activities of the Islamic State,” said the statement. “As part of their larger violent and disruptions designs, they also indulged in arson and targeting of vehicles and other establishments, such as liquor shops, godowns, transformers etc.”

Maaz Muneer was arrested by the Shivamogga police in September 2022. He was an associate of one of accused arrested in connection with the stabbing incident during a clash over VD Savarkar’s poster in Shivamogga in October last year, police have said. During the investigation, Maaz admitted to conducting a test bomb blast with two others.

According to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Shivamogga (Rural) police station, the gang members were planning to advance the cause of IS that was detrimental to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India.

“The gang is accused of plotting a conspiracy to commit a terror act, professing their ideologies and following the agenda of a terror organisation,” said BM Laxmi Prasad, former Shivamogga superintendent of police (SP). “The investigation will disclose more details.”

Maaz has confessed that to have conducted trial bomb blasts on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, police have claimed.

Meanwhile, NIA has intensified a reward poster campaign in Karnataka and Kerala in connection with the murder of a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, Praveen Kumar Nettaru, agency officers familiar with the matter said on Friday.

In November last year, NIA had announced 5 lakh each for giving information on wanted accused Mahammad Mustafa aka Mustafa Paichar from Sulia in Dakshina Kannada district and Thufail MH from Madikeri city in Coorg district. The federal anti-terror agency had also announced 2 lakh each for information on Ummar Farook MR from Kallumutlu house and Abubakkar Siddik aka Painter Siddik aka Gujri Siddiq from Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district.

However, the agency has not got any clues and the accused have remained elusive even after extensive search operation. The notices have been posted at various places in Calicut and Kasargod districts besides parts of coastal Karnataka region.

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