NIA secures life imprisonment for terror operative who planned to establish Hizbul module in Assam

Reinforcing the NIA’s ongoing efforts to dismantle terror networks in the northeastern region, the investigating agency secured life imprisonment in Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) conspiracy case in Assam, on Tuesday.

In a landmark verdict, a special NIA court in Guwahati sentenced the main accused in a Hizbul Mujahideen terror conspiracy case to life imprisonment, marking a significant stride in the fight against terrorism in Assam.

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Details of the sentence

Md Kamruj Zaman, also known as Dr Hurairah and Kamaruddin, was found guilty of orchestrating a plan to establish a Hizbul Mujahideen module in Assam during 2017–18 with the intent of carrying out terrorist activities. The court handed him three separate sentences of simple imprisonment, with the maximum punishment being life imprisonment, to run concurrently.

Under the judgment, Zaman was sentenced to life under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. He also received five years’ simple imprisonment each under Section 18B of the UAPA read with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 38 of the UAPA.

In addition to prison terms, the court imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on each count, with an additional three months’ simple imprisonment in case of default.
The case, registered as RC 08/2018/NIA-GUW, relates to incidents in Jamunamukh area of Hojai district, Assam, where Kamruj Zaman allegedly conspired to recruit members for HM to carry out terrorist activities.

Investigations revealed that Zaman had enlisted Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam, Omar Faruk, and others in his plan. In March 2019, the NIA filed a chargesheet against five individuals. Three of them pleaded guilty and were convicted, while the fifth accused, Jaynal Uddin, passed away due to illness during the trial.