The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Guwahati has convicted two individuals in connection with their involvement in the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a module linked to Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS).
Mamunur Rashid, one of the convicted individuals, received a sentence of three years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1,000. He was also awarded additional terms of simple imprisonment for related offences.
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The second convict, Mukibul Hussain, was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 500, with additional jail time for other charges.
This case, initially registered in March 2022, pertains to the discovery of an ABT module operating in Assam’s Barpeta district under the leadership of Saiful Islam, a Bangladeshi national.
Investigations revealed that the module was engaged in radicalization, recruitment, and establishing sleeper cells for AQIS in the region.
The NIA had filed chargesheets against eight accused in August 2022, followed by supplementary chargesheets against two additional individuals in August 2023.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Assam Police apprehended 14 individuals for their alleged link to ‘jihadi’ network as part of its ongoing “Operation Praghat” targeting Islamic extremists.
