2 Hyderabadi youths get 5-yr jail for working for ISIS

HYDERABAD: A Delhi-based special court to try NIA cases has sentenced two Hyderabad-based youths – Abdullah Basith and Abdul Qadeer – to five years of imprisonment for working for global terrorist organisation ISIS.

The duo, belonging to Chandrayangutta in the city, were arrested by National Investigative Agency (NIA) in August 2018. The court on Friday found them guilty of actively promoting the agenda of international terrorist organisation ISIS and working to expand its base in India.

They were a part of the Abu Dhabi module, in which prime accused who radicalised Basith into the network, operated from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The court also ordered the duo to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 each.

According to the NIA, Abdullah Basith, an engineering dropout, was also part of the ISIS Abu Dhabi module and was engaged in actively propagating its ideology to expand it in India.

He had radicalised and motivated his friends to join ISIS and collected funds from accused Adnan Hussain and other associates. He had even facilitated the visa and passport of radicalised youth with the help of the funds collected. He had also been involved in arranging and managing meetings with his associates to strengthen and expand the ISIS footprint in India.
 
Another accused Mohammed Abdul Qadeer had come in contact with Abdullah Basith after watching Basith’s television interview in May 2017. He also became a part of the conspiracy and supported the activities of Abdullah Basith in promoting the ISIS ideology. He openly professed to be a supporter and member of the Islamic State and also attended various meetings of ISIS organised by Abdullah Basith.
 
Their role came to light during the investigation of the Abu Dhabi module operated by Sheikh Azhar Al Islam Sattar Sheikh, Mohammed Farhan Mohammed Rafiq Shaikh and Adnan Hussain, all members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), all Indian nationals, then residing in Dubai.

They conspired and actively involved to identify, motivate, radicalise, recruit through social media platforms, and train gullible Indian Muslim youth, both within and outside the country, to initiate them into the planning and execution of terrorist attacks. They were convicted in the year 2017 and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.