2 Bangladesh nationals sentenced to 5 years in jail for harbouring Al Qaeda-linked group terrorists in Mumbai

A special NIA court in Mumbai on Monday sentenced two citizens of Bangladesh to five years' imprisonment for harbouring terrorists of Al-Qaeda linked Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an official said.

Ripen Hussain alias 'Rubel' and Mohmmad Hasan Ali were convicted by the special court under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Foreigners Act, while the trial against the remaining three accused is ongoing, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed charge sheets against all the arrested accused in September 2018.

The official said the court sentenced the convicted persons to imprisonment of five years each besides slapping them with fine.

The Maharashtra Police had initially registered a case on March 16, 2018, on inputs that several Bangladeshi nationals were staying in Pune without valid documents and were involved in abetting and aiding members of the ABT.

Acting upon the information, police intercepted Mohamed Habibur Rehman Habib alias 'Raj Jesub Mondal' at Dhobighat, Bhairoba Nala, Pune and subsequently arrested five Bangladeshi nationals, the spokesperson said.

The NIA had taken over the investigation of the case on May 18, 2018.

The spokesperson said investigations had revealed that the arrested Bangladeshi nationals illegally infiltrated into India and obtained PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and ration cards under fictitious names by providing fake documents.

"They used these documents for procuring Indian SIM cards, opening bank accounts, and seeking employment in India," the spokesperson said, adding they had harboured ABT terrorist Samad Mia alias 'Tanvir' alias 'Saiful' alias 'Tushar Biswas' alias 'Tusar' and other members at a construction site in Pune.

He said they also gave money to ABT terrorists including Mia.