The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court here convicted 13 persons, including Thadiyantavide Nazeer, and acquitted five in the sensational Kashmir recruitment case on Tuesday. The court will conduct the final hearing and pronounce its verdict in the case on Friday.
The NIA produced the 18 accused in the case before the special court on Tuesday morning, amid tight security. The agency had earlier named 24 persons as accused in the case, including four youths - Fayas, Abdul Rahim, Mohammed Yasin and Fayis - who were killed in the encounter with security agencies in 2008.
Two accused, Muhammad Sabir alias K P Sabir and Pakistan national Abdul Wali, are still absconding. The NIA had, however, named 18 persons in the chargesheet.
Apart from Nazeer, the other convicted persons include K V Abdul Jaleel, M H Faisal, P Mujeeb, Safas, Ibrahim Moulavi alias Bhai, Firoz, Muhammad Nawaz alias Nawaz, Abdul Jabbar alias Anoop alias Sathar, Sabir P Buhari, Sainuddin alias Sathar Bhai, Ummer Farooq, and Sarfaraz Nawaz.
Those acquitted include Muhammad Nainar, Badaruddin, P K Anas, Sheneej and Abdul Hameed alias Ameer Ali alias Hameed Master alias Muhammad Yusuf.
NIA Special Court Judge S Vijayakumar said in the order that there is sufficient evidence to define the activities of the guilty as waging war against the Government of India, punishable under Section 121 of the IPC and commission of terrorist act as defined in Section 15 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, punishable under Section 16 of the Act, committed by four youths killed in the encounter and Abdul Jabbar who escaped to Kerala after the encounter.
“Abdul Jabbar, who managed to escape alive, is liable to be convicted under Section 121 of IPC and Section 15 of the UA(P) Act. Abdul Jaleel, M H Faisal, Nazeer, P Mujeeb, Shafas, Ibrahim Moulavi, Firoz, Muhammad Nawaz, Abdul Jabbar, Sabir, Sainudeen, Ummer Farooq and Sarfaraz Nawaz committed the offence of criminal conspiracy and took part in ‘Twarikath’ classes to wage war against the Government of India and to commit terrorist activities, pursuant to which, the offence committed by the five persons who took part in the encounter with security forces. Sarfaraz Nawas joined the conspiracy subsequently. Thereby, the accused are liable to conviction,” the Special Court judge said.