New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a chargesheet against six persons, including an ISIS terrorist, for their alleged involvement in the killing of a police official in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu as part of waging a violent jihad, an official said. The six men are Abdul Shameem, 30, and Y Thowfeek, 27, of Kanyakumari; Khaja Mohideen, 53, and Jaffar Ali, 26, of Tamil Nadu''s Cuddalore; Mahboob Pasha, 48, and Ejas Pasha, 46, of Bengaluru. They have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act, an NIA spokesperson said.
The chargesheet was filed before a special NIA court in Chennai, he said. Wilson, Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) of Kaliyakkavilai police station, was shot and stabbed to death on January 8 by Shameem and Thowfeek while the officer was on duty at Kaliyakkavilai market road check post, the official said. After the arrest of the assailants on January 15, it was revealed that they had committed the crime with the intention of creating terror in the minds of people, including police, as part of waging a violent jihad, the NIA official said. The NIA took over the case on February 1 from the Tamil Nadu Police and during investigation, the roles of Mohideen, Mahboob, Ejas and Jaffer in the larger conspiracy were revealed and they were arraigned as accused in the case, he said.
Mohideen, a member of the ISIS terror group, had radicalised Shameem and Thowfeek on the jihadi (violent extremist) ideology since May 2019, and recruited them into his terrorist gang to carry out violent attacks against the establishment, especially police, in Tamil Nadu, to bring the Islamic Rule or Shariah, the official said. In October 2019, Mohideen instructed Mahboob, Ejas and Jaffer to procure illegal fire arms and prohibited ammunition for carrying out attacks, he said. After mid-December 2019, on Mohideen''s instructions, Shameem and Thowfeek were sheltered in Karnataka and Maharashtra by Mahboob and they were subsequently provided illegal fire arms and ammunition, the NIA official said.
In early January this year when Tamil Nadu police arrested the associates of Mahboob at Bengaluru and started pursuing the others, Mohideen instructed Shameem and Thowfeek to attack the Tamil Nadu police at check posts along the inter-state border in Kanyakumari district, the official of the premier investigation agency said. The assailants travelled to Kaliyakkavilai on January 8 and attacked on-duty SSI Wilson, he said. After committing the terrorist act, they escaped towards Kerala and concealed the knife and illegal fire arm used in the attack near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Stand in Thriuvananthapuram and Ernakulam, respectively, the official said.
They fled to Kozhikode, changed their appearance and travelled to Maharashtra to live in disguise before returning to Udupi in Karnataka where they were arrested on January 15, the NIA official added Further investigation was underway, the probe agency said.
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