The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Ernakulam has sentenced Subahani Haja Mohideen, an Islamic State terrorist, to life imprisonment. The 35-year old native of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu has been sentenced in the Omar Al-Hindi Module Case. A fine of Rs 2,10,000 has also been imposed. The judgement comes four days after he was declared guilty by the same court.
The NIA court on September 25, had convicted him under Sections 120B (Criminal conspiracy) and 125 (Waging war against Asiatic power in alliance with the government of India), Section 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (Associating oneself or professes to be associated with a terrorist organisation with intention to further its activities) and 39 (Offense related to supporting a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The case was registered by NIA on October 1, 2016, based on information that certain youth had entered into a conspiracy and were making preparations to carry out terrorist attacks in India to further the objectives of terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a statement from the national agency said.
Searches were conducted on October 3 that year at the house of Subahani Haja Mohideen in Tirunelveli which led to seizure of incriminating material indicating his travel to areas of conflict in West Asia before returning to Kerala in 2016. He was arrested on October 5, 2016, while reportedly trying to collect explosives to hold a terror strike in the state.
“Forensic examination of the clothes used by the accused during his stay with the Islamic State and forensic medical examination of his body established that he was in the war zone in Iraq. It was also established that Subahani Haja Moideen, after returning to India on September 21, 2015, had attempted to procure explosive chemicals from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, based on instructions from his handlers in Islamic State, to carry out terrorist attacks in India, on behalf of ISIS,” the NIA statement said.
It has also been revealed through investigation that he had exited India from Chennai and reached Turkey on April 8, 2015. He had then illegally crossed over to Iraq through the land border and joined the Islamic State using the name Abu Jasmine Al-Hindi.
After undergoing religious and arms training with ISIS in Iraq, he was deployed with ISIS’ military formation Umar Ibnu Khatab Khatiba, headed by the French national Abu Suleiman Al-Francisi, who was later killed. He was also associated with Pakistani national Mohammed Usman Ghani, who was subsequently arrested, investigation officials said. Mohammed Usman Ghani is now incarcerated in France, for his involvement in the Paris attacks of 2015,” the NIA said.