The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
NIA to chargesheet eight from Kerala, TN for ‘IS terror plot’
THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to chargesheet eight men from Kerala and Tamil Nadu for their alleged involvement in an Islamic State (IS) terror conspiracy. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday granted sanction to the NIA to prosecute the men under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The first chargesheet relates to men who were allegedly part of a module busted by the NIA in Kannur last October. According to the NIA, the module wanted to target places of religious importance, Israeli tourists, high court judges and BJP leaders.
Five members of the module were arrested when they were holding a meeting at Kanakamala in Kannur on October 2 last year. Another person was arrested in Calicut the same day, while two others, including the group’s alleged financer, were arrested later. According to investigations, the group was being handled by a man identified as Manglasherry, who was earlier in Iran and later shifted to Afghanistan.
The men, all in their 20s, were identified as P Safwan, a graphic designer with Malayalam daily Thejas, the mouthpiece of Muslim outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), Manseed, the group leader who organised the meeting, Jassim N K, an engineering dropout, Ramshad N K, a B Com graduate, Swali Muhammed and Abu Basheer, both from Tamil Nadu.
The two who were arrested later were Moinudheen Parakadavath and Rashid Ali. Hailing from Kasaragod, Parakadavath was deported from Abu Dhabi and arrested by the NIA in February this year. The agency claimed Parakadavath had admitted his involvement in the IS conspiracy, and also revealed that he had transferred Rs 20,000 through Western Union AMID HIGH drama, Calcutta High Court Judge C S Karnan on Friday refused to accept the bailable warrant issued against him by the Supreme Court for contempt of court.
A team of police officials, led by West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha, went to Karnan’s residence today to serve the warrant.
According to a PTI report, Karnan “rejected” the warrant and handed over a note to the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar which initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against him. “My Lords, your bailable order dated March 10, 2017 in the suo motu contempt proceedings... today, top police officers from the Calcutta High Court Circle came to my residence in order to execute the bailable warrant earmarked for 10:30 am on March 31, 2017... I rejected the same