Bengaluru: A special NIA court Tuesday convicted a key accused and sentenced him to seven years in jail after he pleaded guilty to his role in the 2020 ISIS-linked terror conspiracy case in Bengaluru.Investigators said Mohammed Haneef Khan, first accused in the case, was allegedly part of a reconnaissance team that visited Shivanasamudra and Gundlupet regions in Chamarajanagar district to identify remote forest locations for training camps and hideouts for members of the alleged Al-Hind module. They allegedly wanted to set up an IS province, according to NIA.The case was initially registered at Suddaguntepalya police station in Bengaluru on Jan 10, 2020, under IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. NIA took over the probe a few days later.Haneef, who was fined Rs 48,000, is the first among the 20 accused, now arrested and chargesheeted by NIA.The investigation identified Mehaboob Pasha, the prime accused, as the mastermind behind the conspiracy. According to the NIA, Pasha allegedly conducted secret meetings at his residence in Guruppanapalya, where plans were made to carry out the alleged targeted killings of Hindu leaders in Tamil Nadu and other terror activities. Their alleged aim was to trigger communal unrest and advance the agenda of banned ISIS terrorist organisation.NIA stated Pasha and his associates conspired to procure firearms and explosives to strengthen the group’s operations. During investigations, NIA found Pasha had supplied Haneef with two pistols and 60 live rounds of ammunition to facilitate the planned activities. Haneef drove several co-accused from Bengaluru to West Bengal in a rented car as part of the conspiracy.NIA said efforts were continuing to identify and trace the online handler, who allegedly orchestrated the formation of the ISIS-linked module.
