CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a key accused in the Hizb-ut-Tahrir case which the agency said involves attempts to radicalize youth and establish Islamic caliphate in India.
The agency on Saturday said that they arrested Aziz Ahamed alias Aziz Ahmed alias Jaleel Aziz Ahmed at the Bengaluru international airport while he was trying to leave the country.
NIA had registered a case initially booked by the Central Crime Branch of Chennai police against six accused, who were allegedly influenced by extremist, radical and fundamentalist ideology of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist organization fighting to establish the Islamic Caliphate and enforce a constitution authored by the organization’s founder Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani.
The agency shared that their investigations showed that the accused had conducted secret seminars, where many participants, particularly gullible youth, were allegedly radicalized with ideologies of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. NIA said that the organization seeks military assistance (Nusra) from forces inimical to India to achieve its “nefarious goal”. It also added that the arrested Aziz Ahamed was found to be one of the chief initiators in conducting secret Bayaans or seminars.
Six people have been arrested in the case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act so far. They have been identified as Dr Hameed Hussain, Ahamed Mansoor, Abdul Rahman, H Mohamed Maurice, Kadar Nawaz Sherif, Ahmed Ali Umari and other unknown persons.
Dr Hameed, a resident of Royapettah in Chennai, is suspected of being the chief coordinator of the organization and had allegedly been holding secret meetings to spread its ideology at a hall in the city. This allegedly acts against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, NIA said.
NIA had formally taken charge of the investigation from the Chennai police and registered a new FIR on July 24. Post that Chennai police handed over crucial documents to the agency on August 5, sources said.