NIA arrests two accused in 2022 Rajasthan terror conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency said the arrested duo was actively engaged in spreading the ISIS ideology before their arrests from Maharashtra

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two absconding accused, including the kingpin, in a 2022 case relating to seizure of explosives and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) material from Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. The case was alleged to be a part of the ISIS-inspired terror conspiracy of terrorist outfit named ‘SUFA’.

NIA expects the arrests of to lead the agency into unearthing terror outfit SUFA’s linkages to active members and sleeper modules of ISIS in India. (Representative Image)

According to a statement released by NIA, Mohammad Yunus Saki and Imran Khan, residents of Ratlam were produced before the NIA special court in Jaipur on Monday.

“NIA expects their arrest to lead the agency into establishing the missing links in the case and unearth the outfit’s linkages to active members and sleeper modules of ISIS in India. Mohammad Yunus Saki and Imran Khan were actively engaged in spreading the ISIS ideology before their arrests from Maharashtra,” the investigative agency said.

It also said that the arrested duo was highly trained in IED fabrication, and were also involved in training their co-accused in making such devices at the Poultry Farm of the mastermind, Imran Khan. “The said poultry farm was attached by the NIA last month. After they fled to Mumbai and subsequently settled in Pune last year, they organised at least two IED Training and Fabrication Workshops in Pune last year,” said the official. Kingpin Imran and ten other accused were charge-sheeted in the case by NIA in September last year,” the statement said.

It had earlier seized explosives and various components used in the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the possession of the accused, wanted in the case. The agency said that their investigations had subsequently revealed that the two men had procured the materials and substances for fabricating the IEDs with the intent of spreading terror and mayhem in Rajasthan and elsewhere in India.

The duo has been produced before the Jaipur NIA court and an investigation is underway to probe their ISIS links.