A special NIA court in Bengaluru convicted three suspected terrorists in connection with the plot to attack terrorists during the visit of US President Barack Obama to India in 2015. The court will issue a sentence on December 18.
The court found that three prisoners – Syed Ismail Afak, Abdul Saboor and Saddam Hussein – were planning to carry out an explosion on Republic Day (January 26, 2015) during Obama’s visit to India. It acquitted two other accused, Riyaz Ahmed and Zainulbuddin, both residents of Bhatkal in Karnataka due to lack of evidence.
Afak, a resident of Bhatkal, was found guilty under Sections 13, 20, 23 and 38 of the UAPA, and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act. She was married to a Pakistani citizen and maintained contact with Pakistani terrorist groups.
He reportedly received terrorist training in Pakistan under the pretext of visiting his wife. He was also involved in providing explosives for Mumbai, Pune and Delhi bombings.
Saboor, also a resident of Bhatkal, and Hussein were convicted under UAPA Sections 13 and 23 and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act.
According to the special NIA court, the main accused, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, remained absent from the case.
ABOUT THE CASE
The case began on January 8, 2015, when a team of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested Afak in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar area. His questioning led to the arrest of some suspected terrorists. Afak admitted that he kept explosives in a house in Bhatkal. The CCB team then seized the bombs and explosive devices from the area.
The investigation of this case was led by ACP Omkarayya and Thammaiah of CCB. After that, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case and opened 2,000 case files, and presented it to the court.
The convicted accused have been kept in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail since 2015.
The other two suspects, Ahmed and Zainulbuddin, were released under Sections 13 and 23 of the UAPA, and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Act. However, the pending case against Zainulbuddin in Mumbai.
Both released will be released from prison within two days.
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