Bengaluru: A special court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases has sentenced Huzair Farhan Baig to six years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs 58,000, in connection with a terror conspiracy case involving the proscribed Islamic State (IS).The case was initially registered by Shivamogga Rural police on Sept 19, 2022, and was subsequently taken over by NIA, which uncovered an IS module operating in Thirthahalli, Shivamogga.According to NIA, the accused were allegedly mentored and guided online by a handler known as “Colonel”, later identified as Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, who is absconding in several terror cases being investigated by the agency. Faisal is accused of being involved in radicalising and recruiting youths to propagate the ideology of IS and further terrorist activities in India.Huzair was radicalised and recruited by co-accused Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin. NIA said that on Maaz’s instructions, Huzair arranged a hideout in Bengaluru for terrorist activities.Huzair received funds in cryptocurrency through accounts belonging to his friends. The cryptocurrency was subsequently converted into fiat currency and used to make payments towards the hideout. The funds were arranged by Maaz through the online handler.NIA said it has so far filed four chargesheets against 12 accused persons in the case, with three accused already convicted and sentenced to six years of RI along with fines. The agency continues its efforts to trace Faisal, whom it has identified as the online handler.
