The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday said that it has interrogated 10 people arrested for their alleged involvement in hatching a conspiracy to wage war against India with the help of terror group IS.
An NIA spokesperson in Delhi said that it interrogated Pachaiyappan, a resident of Kanchipuram, Rajesh, a resident of Chennai, Anbarasan a resident of Salem rural, A Abdul Rahiman and Liyakath Ali of Salem city, Mohammed Haneef Khan and Imran Khan of Bengaluru, Mohammed Zaid of Kolar, Ejaz Pasha of Bengaluru and Hussain Shariff, who were taken into NIA custody for six days until March 3.
The case was originally registered by Tamil Nadu Police under sections of the IPC, the UAPA and the Arms Act against Pachaiyappan, Rajesh and their associates for fraudulently obtaining mobile SIM cards on forged identities.
"They were hatching a conspiracy with ISIS member Khaja Mohideen, a resident of Cuddalore, and his associates to carry out unlawful activities for furthering the objectives of the ISIS in India," the spokesperson said.
He said during investigation it was revealed that Pachaiyappan, Rajesh, Anbarasan and Rahiman had fraudulently activated the SIM cards bought by Liyakath from Chennai and Salem, and provided these to Moideen for unlawful activities as part of the conspiracy hatched in Tamil Nadu last year.
Haneef, Imran, Zaid, Pasha and Shariff had assisted Moideen for procuring weapons and material for establishing a base in the forests of south India for waging a violent jihad in India, the NIA official said.
The official said that investigation further revealed that Haneef and Imran had taken Moideen along with his associates Abdul Samad of Cuddalore and Syed Ali Navas of Toothukudi districts outside India from Bengaluru on December 12 last year.
"Later, Moideen and his associates returned to India with the intention of waging jihad and were arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on January 8," he said.
"Jaid assisted Moideen to communicate with his online handler over encrypted email and messenger platforms in the dark web to hatch the conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks in India by recruiting more members into the terrorist gang and imparting arms training outside India," the official said.
He further said that Pasha had helped Moideen and co-conspirator Mehboob Pasha of Bengaluru procure pistols and ammunition illegally which have been recovered.
"Shariff had stored in his house at Bengaluru some of the material procured by Moideen and associates for living in forests to wage a violent Islamic jihad," he said.
During the custody of the 10 accused, evidence of their participation in the conspiracy and pursuant overt acts has been collected which would be submitted to the special NIA court in Chennai.
(With inputs from IANS)