LeT recruitment case: NIA court sentences key accused to 10 years RI

New Delhi, Jan 22: A special court of the National Investigation Agency has sentenced a key accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a Pakistan linked Lashkar e Taiba recruitment and radicalisation case, with the investigation revealing a clear connection to Jammu and Kashmir.
According to an official press release issued by the NIA, the court convicted Sayyad M. Idris, a resident of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, for his role in recruiting and radicalising youth for the banned Lashkar e Taiba outfit in West Bengal. The court awarded the maximum sentence of 10 years rigorous imprisonment under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, along with a fine of Rs 70,000.
The agency said the case was originally registered by the West Bengal Police and later taken over by the NIA in April 2020. During the course of the investigation, Idris was arrested along with Altaf Ahmed Rather, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing a direct J and K link to the militant recruitment module.
Investigations revealed that the accused had conspired with one Tania Parveen to form a Lashkar e Taiba module by recruiting local youth. Tania Parveen was arrested earlier by the Special Task Force of West Bengal Police during a search operation at Baduria in North 24 Parganas in March 2020, during which incriminating material, including jihadi literature, was recovered.
The NIA said it was further established that youth were being radicalised through social media platforms and motivated to undertake jihad against the Government of India. The agency filed charge sheets against the arrested accused in September 2020 and May 2021.
Two Pakistan based absconders, identified as Ayesha Siddiqi and Bilal Dar, were also charge sheeted in the case, and red and blue corner notices have been issued against them. Trial against the remaining accused is presently underway before the special NIA court. [KNT]