Bengaluru, July 14 (IANS) A Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru has convicted and sentenced Mohammed Haneef Khan, a key accused in the 2020 Al-Hind ISIS terror conspiracy case, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 48,000.

Haneef Khan is the first accused to be convicted in the case, in which the NIA has so far chargesheeted 20 accused, all of whom have been arrested.

According to the NIA, Haneef pleaded guilty during the trial, which commenced in October 2025.

Investigations revealed that he was part of a reconnaissance team that visited the Shivanasamudra area in Chamarajanagar district and the Gundlupet region in Karnataka to identify deep forest locations for training camps and hideouts for members of the Al-Hind module. The objective of the conspiracy was to establish an ISIS or Daish wilayah (province) in the region, the statement said.

The agency said the conspiracy was masterminded by the prime accused, Mehaboob Pasha, who allegedly held several meetings at his residence in Guruppanapalya, Bengaluru. During these meetings, the accused allegedly planned targeted killings aimed at triggering communal riots and advancing the agenda of the banned ISIS terrorist organisation.

The investigation further revealed that Pasha, along with his relatives and co-accused, conspired to procure arms and explosives to further ISIS activities. He allegedly supplied Haneef with two pistols and 60 live rounds for carrying out violent acts.

The NIA also found that Haneef drove several co-accused from Bengaluru to West Bengal in a rented car as part of the larger conspiracy.

The case was initially registered by the Karnataka Police in Bengaluru on January 10, 2020, before being taken over by the NIA a few days later.

The NIA said its investigation is continuing, with efforts underway to trace the online handler believed to have planned and coordinated the formation of the Al-Hind ISIS module involved in the conspiracy.

–IANS

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