NIA files chargesheet against 10 terrorists of ‘Shahadat is our Goal’ outfit

Chennai, January 23

The NIA on Saturday filed a chargesheet against 10 members of the ‘Shahadat is our Goal’ terrorist organisation in Tamil Nadu for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy of waging a violent jihad, an official said.

The chargesheet was filed in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Chennai.

Sheik Dawood (33) of Tanjavur district, Mohamed Rifas (37), Muparish Ahamed (23), Abubakar Siddiq (24), Hameed Asfar (23) of Ramanathapuram district, Mohamed Rashid (25) of Cuddalore district, Liyakath Ali (30) of Salem district, Ahamed Imithiyas (31), Sajith Ahamed (23), and Rizwan Mohammed (26) of Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu have been charged with relevant sections of the IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

The case was registered in April 2018 in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district after the arrest of Mohamed Rifas, Muparish Ahamed and Abupakkar Sithik from Keelakarai, said an NIA spokesperson.

Lethal weapons, including swords, along with pamphlets pertaining to the terrorist gang ‘Shahadat is our Goal’ were seized from their possession, said the spokesperson.

The chargesheeted accused were radicalised by violent jihadi ideology, the NIA spokesperson added.

Dawood and Rifas had conspired with the co-accused and organised meetings at various places in Tamil Nadu since Ramadan, 2017, with the intention of radicalising and recruiting the co-accused and others for “shahadat” (getting themselves killed) to establish Islamic rule in India, said the NIA official.

The accused created various social media groups, especially on WhatsApp, and were disseminating materials advocating violent jihad, including the videos and speeches of the Sri Lankan ISIS leader Zahran Hashim, informed the official.

The accused had also prepared pamphlets titled “Shahadat is our Goal” calling for violent jihad to liberate their associates lodged in prisons, according to the official.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, accused Dawood and Rifas also attempted to carry out terrorist acts by procuring illegal firearms in order to free their associates lodged in prisons, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case was underway. PTI