Guwahati: A special NIA court in Guwahati convicted two persons from Assam on Thursday for radicalisation of Muslim youths in Goalpara district for raising a module of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based Islamic terror group affiliated to Al Qaeda in Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS).
A statement issued by the NIA on Friday said Aalaluddin Sheikh and Abdus Subhan, of Goalpara district, who were convicted, had pleaded guilty to the crime under various sections of the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case registered initially by Assam police in August 2022 and which was taken over by the NIA in September that year.
The sentences against the duo are likely to be pronounced on Saturday, said the statement.
"NIA investigations had revealed that Jalaluddin had forged close connections with Abdus Subhan, who later established links with the absconding handler of ABT, namely Mehboob Alom, and went on to recruit three others into the ABT/AQIS to further the terror-related activities of the terrorist organization. The three so recruited were identified as Abdus Sobahan and Hafizur Rahman, also named as accused in the case (RC- 03/2022/NIA-GUW), besides one other, namely Azmal Hussain," said the statement.
The NIA further said the accused and other co-conspirators worked closely with the handlers of the module, namely Abu Talha, Mehaboob alias Sultan, Jahangir Alom alias Ali Noor alias Inamul Haque, Aminul Islam alias Mehadi Hassan and Saiful Islam alias Md. Suman, who were based across the border in Bangladesh. "They were involved in organising gatherings at various places in Goalpara district of Assam to radicalise and recruit impressionable people into the fold of ABT/AQIS."
NIA had, on January 30 last year, charge-sheeted six accused under section 120B of IPC and sections 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of UA (P) Act, 1967 in the case. The Special NIA court had framed charges against all six accused persons under section 120B of IPC and sections 38 and 39 of UA(P) Act 1967.
Further investigation in the case is ongoing, said the statement.