NIA convicts Kerala man who joined Islamic State before returning home

KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Kochi has found Subahani Haja Moideen, the accused in the Islamic State joining case, guilty. The court will pronounce the sentence on Monday. P. Krishnakumar, the NIA special judge, convicted Haja under Section 125 (waging war against Asiatic power in alliance with the Government of India), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and several relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

As per the NIA charge sheet, he travelled to Iraq via Turkey to join the IS and got military training from the terrorist outfit in 2015. He was deployed in Mosul during the war against the Iraqi government, according to reports.

Haja returned to India in October 2016 and was arrested by the NIA that same month. He was taken into custody during the probe into Kanakamala IS training case. He was kept at Viyyur central jail.

The NIA in its report contended that Haja, a native of Thodupuzha in Idukki district was responsible for procuring explosives and chemicals for IS operations in India. The investigation agency also suspected that he may have had details about the 2015 terror attacks in Paris. A French investigation team recently visited the Viyyur central prison to quiz him over the 2015 attacks.