KOCHI: The NIA on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against eight people in the case related to the IS module Ansarul Khilafa which operated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. NIA rushed with the chargesheet to prevent the accused from being released on bail as their 180 days’ judicial custody would end on Friday.
The eight are Manseed Mehmood alias Omar Al Hindi of Kannur; Swalih Muhammed T alias Yosuf alias Bilal, a resident of Chelakkara, Thrissur; Abu Basheer alias Rashid Ali of Ukkadam, Coimbatore; Ramshad Nangeelan alias Aamu of Kuttiyadi, Kozhikode; Safwan P of Tirur, Malappuram; Jasim N K of Kuttiyadi; Shajeer Mangalassery of Kozhikode; and Subahani Haja Moideen of Tirunelveli. They were charged under sections 120 B, 121, 122 and 125 of IPC besides sections 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the UAPA.
The charges against Subahani Haja Moideen were filed separately as he fought for the IS at Mosul in Iraq and was later lodged in the IS prison at Raqqa in Syria. He returned to India and attempted to procure explosives as part of waging a war against the Indian government.
The NIA also has exempted five accused from the chargesheet, including Moinudheen who was arrested from UAE last month. The agency would be filing a supplementary chargesheet against these accused after the investigation into their role in the module is completed.
The fifth accused Mohammed Fiaz had turned approver and was granted tender of pardon by the NIA court the other day. Apart from Shajeer Mangalassery who is absconding, all the other chargesheeted persons are currently under judicial custody.
The IS module Ansarul Khilafa Kerala was formed in August 2016 under the leadership of the absconding accused Shajeer Mangalassery, an NIT graduate who had performed hijra (migration) to Afghanistan in June 2016 to join the IS.
“Investigation has established the accused formed an IS module which conspired and prepared to target prominent persons including judges of the High Court, political leaders and senior police officers, besides foreigners visiting India,” said NIA in a press release.