NIA books five for online radicalisation
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday chargesheeted five persons, including a woman, in a case relating 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 charge sheet filed before a special NIA court in Ahmedabad, officials said.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, a statement issued by the probe agency said.They posted provocative posts, including videos, audios and photos, through various social media accounts, it said.
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, the statement alleged.
They also promoted the extremist ideologies of other proscribed terror organisations to radicalise gullible youth, it said.
NIA, which had taken over the investigation from ATS Gujarat, had seized various incriminating materials, in both paper and digital formats, along with deadly weapons like semi automatic pistol with cartridges and a sword from two of the five accused in the course of the investigation.
The NIA, during investigation, further traced the digital footprints and identified incriminating posts strengthening evidence against the accused.
The investigations 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, the NIA said.
She was in regular contact with a Pakistani national, Sumer Ali, to whom she sent screenshots and discussed banned literature and operations, it said.
Her mobile phone contained incriminating books authored by extremist ideologues, videos, and Pakistani contact numbers, all of which were recovered during the investigation, the probe agency said.
According to NIA findings, Mohammad 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, it said.
Sheikh Mohammad Fardeen from Ahmedabad, Kureshi Sefulla from Modasa (Gujarat) and Zeeshan Ali from Noida (UP) were found to have engaged actively and conspired to promote the radical content in the form of audio, video and other posts promoting the banned terror outfits, the NIA said.
They had regularly liked, commented, and collaborated on posts inciting Jihad, Gazwa-E-Hind and rebellion against the democratically elected Indian government and advocated Khilafat and Sharia law, it added.
