KOCHI: It was an audio clip sent by first accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla, the Kasargod native who allegedly indoctrinated others to join the Islamic State (IS), which proved vital for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in proving the case before the NIA court. The 50th audio clip sent by Abdulla to his relative via social media in November last year called for terror attacks during events such as Thrissur Pooram and Kumbh Mela. In its order, the court specifically mentioned the clip and asked, “Is this the communal harmony they speak for?”
Abdulla’s audio clip asks for doing hijra (migration) to the IS. Those who cannot migrate should extend support to IS by providing financial aid. If they cannot afford to help IS financially, they must do jihad in their respective region. Abdulla called for the use of poison or ramming trucks into gatherings at Thrissur Pooram and Kumbh Mela. “You can even use a knife, rifle or pistol to shoot non-believers like one of our friends did in the US,” he said.
During the trial, the NIA had presented 35 voice clips sent by accused persons, mostly Abdulla, from Afghanistan to his relatives and friends. “Rashid was the person who instigated others to join IS and migrate to Afghanistan. Before leaving India, he had been taking classes about hijra (holy migration) and jihad. He also worked for funding the migration,” an NIA officer said.
The court also referred to a book named Book of Jihad written by 14th-century Islamic scholar Ibn Nuhaas in its order. While conducting secret classes, Abdulla referred to the book to instigate his students that hijra and jihad are an obligation for Muslims. A copy of the book was submitted by the NIA before the court during the trial.
The NIA also presented crucial witnesses who submitted before the court about jihadi classes taken by Abdulla. Similarly, there were also statements from the witnesses which could prove that Yasmeen Zahid attended these classes and was planning to migrate to Afghanistan.