The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charge-sheeted one of the two members of the ISIS Jharkhand module arrested last year, as part of the agency’s crackdown on the proscribed global terrorist organisation.
The agency today filed a chargesheet against Faizan Ansari @ Faiz before the NIA Special Court, Ranchi, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Propagating ideology of violent extremism
As per NIA investigations, Faiz was actively involved in propagating the ideology of violent extremism pursued by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a banned global terror outfit that has been making efforts to increase its activities across India. The accused had taken an oath of allegiance (Bayath) to the self-styled Khalifa (leader) of the ISIS.
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Faiz was engaged in carrying out acts preparatory to terrorist violence through recruitment of individuals to the organisation and its cause. He was found to have created and administered multiple ISIS aligned cyber groups on Telegram and Instagram platforms for dissemination of terrorist propaganda materials, including ISIS magazines “Voice of Hind” and “Voice of Khorasan”, with the aim of influencing and recruiting impressionable youth for carrying out violent attacks in India.
While Faiz, a resident of Ranchi in Jharkhand, was arrested on 20th July 2023, his associate Omar Bahadur @ Rahul Sen of Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, was apprehended in September.
Both are members of ISIS and had hatched a conspiracy to further the unlawful activities of the outfit, with an intention to strike fear and terror amongst the people and threaten the security of India as well as its secular ethos, culture and the democratic system of governance.
NIA had registered the Jharkhand ISIS Terror Module case (NIA RC-02/2023/NIA/RNC) on 19th July 2023 against Faizan Ansari @ Faiz and others, following information received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding a conspiracy hatched by ISIS to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country through promotion of terrorist acts and activities.
ISIS module linked to international outfit?
NIA investigations so far in the case have revealed a larger conspiracy with international linkages and the involvement of foreign-based ISIS handlers. Investigations have also exposed a complex network of individuals committed to propagate the extremist and violent ideology of the ISIS within India.
Further investigations in the case are continuing in accordance with the provisions of section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
It may be noted that ISIS, also known by the names Islamic State (IS) / Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) / Daish/Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) / ISIS Wilayat Khorasan / Islamic State of Iraq and Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K), has been operating through various modules to spread terror across India.
