NIA chargesheets five for propagating ideologies of banned terror outfit online

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday chargesheeted five persons, including a woman, in a case related to online radicalisation of vulnerable youth by terror group Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) in Gujarat.

The accused — identified as Mohammad Fardeen, Kureshi Sefulla, Mohammad Faique, Zeeshan Ali and Shama Parveen — have been named in the chargesheet filed before a special NIA court in Ahmedabad, officials said. They have been charged under various sections of UA(P) Act, BNS Act and Arms Act.

NIA’s investigation in the case had revealed that the accused used social media platforms for propagating, supporting and disseminating the anti-India ideologies of the banned AQIS.

They posted provocative posts, including videos, audios and photos, through various social media accounts.

The NIA further found that, through these posts, the accused had called for armed revolt against the democratically elected Indian Government, and for the establishment of the Caliphate based on the Sharia law. They also promoted the extremist ideologies of other proscribed terror organisations to radicalise gullible youth.

The NIA, which took over the investigation from the ATS Gujarat, seized various incriminating materials in both paper and digital formats, along with deadly weapons including a semi-automatic pistol with cartridges and a sword, from two of the five accused during the course of the investigation. The agency further traced digital footprints and identified incriminating posts that strengthened the evidence against the accused.

According to NIA findings, Faique, a resident of old Delhi, had played a pivotal role in the conspiracy by sharing “radical posts and inciting content on Jihad, Ghazwa-e-Hind and violence against a section of society”.

He circulated excerpts from extremist and radical literature promoting the ideology of AQIS and Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leaders through his Instagram account and also through a group specifically created for the purpose, the probe agency said.

He further collaborated and conspired with other accused to spread the violent ideology and content widely.

Sheikh Mohammad Fardeen of Ahmedabad, Kureshi Sefulla of Modasa in Gujarat and Zeeshan Ali of Noida in Uttar Pradesh were found to have actively engaged in and conspired to promote radical content in the form of audio, video and other posts promoting banned terrorist outfits.

They had regularly liked, commented and collaborated on posts inciting Jihad, Ghazwa-e-Hind and rebellion against the democratically elected Indian government and advocated Khilafat and Sharia law.

The investigations further revealed that Shama Parveen from Bengaluru (Karnataka) propagated AQIS videos through her social media and actively participated in extremist groups that promoted radical content after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. She was in regular contact with a Pakistani national, Sumer Ali, to whom she sent screenshots and discussed banned literature and operations.

Her mobile phone contained incriminating books authored by extremist ideologues, videos and Pakistani contact numbers, all of which were recovered during the investigation. Investigations under Section 193(9) of BNSS are continuing.