Kochi/New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) The Ernakulam Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday convicted and sentenced two accused to eight years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in the ISIS Kerala-Tamil Nadu case

The court found H.Mohammed Azarudheen and Y.Sheikh Hidayathullah guilty under various sections of the IPC and UA(P) Act.

The court has sentenced the duo to 8 years RI under section 120B read with 38 and 39 of UA(P) Act, as well as 8 years of RI each under section 38 and section 39 of UA(P) Act.

All three sentences will run concurrently.

The case relates to the propagation of the violent extremist ideology of the terrorist organisation IS/ Daish by Mohammed Azarudheen and his associates.

The conspiracy was aimed at recruiting vulnerable youth for carrying out terrorist attacks in South India, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

NIA had registered the case suo motu in 2019 against six persons, all residents of Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).

Incidentally, the two men have also been separately charge sheeted in the 2022 Coimbatore Car Bomb Blast Case, in which their associate Jameesha Mubin had carried out an IS-inspired vehicle-borne IED (VB-IED) attack in front of an ancient temple.

The car blast was carried out by Jameesha to avenge the arrest and subsequent prolonged incarceration of his mentor, Muhammed Azharudheen, by the NIA in 2019.

Before his arrest by NIA in the ISIS Kerala-Tamil Nadu case, Muhammed Azharudheen had radicalised Jameesha and others into the violent ideology of IS through secret bayan classes.

Hidayatullah, who was released on bail in this case, had further groomed Jameesha Mubin and facilitated the car bomb blast, which had resulted in the death of the suicide bomber.

Azharudheen also continued to guide the attacker during the latter’s visits to him in prison.

Investigations against the remaining accused are continuing.

–IANS

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