NIA Books 4 J&K Men, Gujarat Woman in Case Linked to Islamic State–Khorasan Province Module

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against five residents of Jammu and Kashmir including a woman in a case linked to a module of Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP), a proscribed terrorist organisation, operating from Porbandar city in Gujarat. According to the FIR, the accused have been identified as Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawal, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Sumera Banu, and Zubair Ahmad. Sumera, based in Gujarat, was allegedly helping the other Srinagar residents facing allegations of running a terror module.

“The Central Government has received information regarding registration of FIR at Police Station ATS, Ahmedabad under section of 120B of IPC and sections 38 539 of UAPA relating to the busting of a secret module of Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), a proscribed terrorist organisation, operating from Porbandar Gujarat,”, the FIR says.

All the accused are allegedly active members of ISKP and were planning, along with their co-conspirator Zubair Ahmad, to go illegally go from Porbandar and through Iran to Afghanistan to carry out terrorist acts there. Four mobile phones, incriminating literature related to ISKP, and sharp weapons, such as knives, have been recovered from them by ATS Ahmedabad, the NIA says in its FIR.

“Since the offence has been committed and having regard to the grave security ramifications and its national & international linkages, it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008,” a case document says.

Earlier, an ATS investigation had revealed that all the five were radicalised by their handler Abu Hamza. The ATS managed to access a cloud storage account of the accused persons and found a video in which they can be seen pledging allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons, a media release of the ATS has said.

Allegedly as directed by Abu Hamza, the three men—Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawal, and Mohammad Hajim Shah—had reached Porbandar to work as fishermen on boats. They planned to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran and join ISKP, the ATS said, adding that it found mobile phones, tablets and sharp weapons in the bags of the accused. Their handler had planned to release their pre-recorded videos and photographs after their “sacrifice” in Afghanistan, said the release issued by ATS Gujarat.