NIA court convicts 13 Muslim youths in 2012 terror module case

September 16, 2016

Bengaluru, Sep 16: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court here on Thursdayconvicted 13 persons accused in the Karnataka terror module case, wherein several educated Muslim youths were arrested from their houses and rented rooms in Bengaluru, Hubballi and other places four years ago.

niaSources in the NIA said that this was the first time the accused have pleaded guilty in a terror case. Special court judge Muralidhar Pai adjourned the case to Friday, when he will pronounce the quantum of punishment.

The charge was that the youths had planned to assassinate several prominent personalities including BJP leaders and pro-BJP journalists. Later, a couple of the arrested youths had got clean chit in the case. Some of the accused are still absconding, according to the NIA. The arrest spree started on August 29, 2012 when a team of the Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru City police nabbed two bike-borne youths in Basaveshwaranagar police limits.

The convicted are: Syed Tanzeem Ahmed of Ben galuru, Dr Imran Ahmed of Bengaluru, Dr Nayeem Siddiqui of Davanagere, Ubaid Ur Rehman of Hyderabad, Shoaib Ahmed Mirza alias Chotu of Hubballi, Abdul Hakeem Jamdar of Hubballi, Riyaz Ahmed Byahatti of Hubballi, Zafar Iqbal Sholapur of Hubb alli, Moha mmed Sa diq Lashkar of Hubballi, Mehaboob Bagalkot of Hubballi, Baba alias Mehboob Bagalkot and Wahid Hussain alias Saahil.

Public prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta said, the conviction was made mainly under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 38 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act, and Section 3 read with 25 of the Arms Act, 1959. The sections invoked entail prison terms of up to 10 years.

Police said the suspects were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami, and were being directed by handlers in Saudi Arabia to eliminate prominent personalities, including a newspaper editor, a newspaper columnist who is now a BJP MP representing Mysuru-Kodagu constituency, and right-wing leaders.

The case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency. Six months after the arrests, NIA released two of the suspects, saying there was no prosecutable evidence against them, while a court released on bail a third suspect after the agency failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated six months of the arrest.

Pleaded guilty in the hope of early release'

The Federation of Muslim NGOs has regretted that the 13 accused pleaded guilty because they were unable to bear the torture of remaining in prison.

"It is a sad reflection of the way investigations are being conducted in terror-related cases. Hundreds of witnesses are cited and a chargesheet running into several thousand pages is filed. The trial takes several years to complete. The draconian Unlawful Activities Prohibition Act ensures no bail is granted and the accused, even if innocent, have to spend several years in jail," read the statement.

"We further call upon the government to ensure the trials are expedited and the Act is amended to ensure bail is granted when proof is not convincing .... Call upon to form an independent review committee comprising a HC judge ... to review the evidence collected before granting sanction for prosecution to ensure innocents are not harassed," read the statement.

"Police say they have ample material evidence against our children. They have been in jail for too long now and have not got bail. Instead of dragging the case, our children agreed to plead guilty as they have already spent four years in jail, and undergo punishment. At least now they can look at an early release after they complete their terms," a family member said, on condition of anonymity.

Only 32 Of 260 gave evidence

The 13 accused stood motionless as NIA special court judge Muralidhar Pai held them guilty, while some of their family members let out exclamations of disappointment.

Around 10.30am Thursday, the men were brought in police vans, each accompanied by a policeman, as they walked to court hall 54 on the third floor of the City Civil Court complex. The judge said he would pronounce the judgment by 3pm. The men were taken out for lunch in the van and brought back to the hall by 2.30pm.

The 13 accused had been denied bail and were in jail during the course of the trial, where only 32 of the 260 witnesses turned up to give evidence.

Comments

Bopanna
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

\Educated Muslim youth \" ?
Madrassa education ????? Get ready to go meet your 72 virgins"

Bopanna
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

Terror has only one religion = Islam

Abdullah
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

The namo naresh who killed baliga was given bail.
The educated Muslim youths who didn't do any crime are convicted.
Wah re wah incredible RSS ruling India.

Deepak D
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

Who said terror does not have any religion. Anything or nothing can become a terror act if the arrested are Muslims. and any terror act can become nothing if the arrested are Sangh Parivar activists.

observer
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

Judge Murlidhar Pai a pakka RSS man.

Althaf
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

really injustice to the youths, how their family must be feeling about the injustice of india.

Nazir
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

Seriously shameful to our court. hoping of early release they accepted the guilty, for everything we should answer one day, that day will come soon to everyone.

Narain
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

this terrorists produced by Muslim's NGO's itself, they have to protect them from all the side. in every case this happens. their plan is to take compensation from govt. so they are pushing the case to so many years, in this 60% goes to this NGO's for protecting them, but in this case they failed to protect their children.

Mohan
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

this Muslim NGO's main job is this only first our court should punish this fellows for arguing against court decision.

Pran Kumar
 - 
Friday, 16 Sep 2016

Why naming Muslim youths? Terror dont have any religion.

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News Network
May 3,2020

Bengaluru, May 3: The Excise Commissioner of Karnataka has issued an order granting permission to distilleries, breweries and wineries situated outside the containment zones to begin production activity. The permission has been granted on the condition that they strictly comply with COVID-19 related guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"In view of the state government order and the new guidelines issued by the MHA, permission is granted to distilleries, breweries and wineries situated in rural areas and industrial estates and industrial townships with access control (outside containment zones) to commence only production activity," the Excise Commissioner said in the order.

The Excise Commissioner further said in the order that the Deputy Commissioner of Excise shall ensure that wherever distilleries, breweries and wineries are permitted to carry on production activities, they shall strictly comply with COVID-19 related guidelines issued by the MHA.

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News Network
April 7,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 7: With reporting of 12 positive cases of COVID-19 since last evening, including three women, the total number of confirmed cases in Karnataka increased to 175, including four deaths.

According to official sources, while three fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported from Bengaluru, two each had been reported from Bagalkot, Kalaburagi and Mandya, followed by one each at Gadag and Bengaluru Rural districts.

After a gap of over three weeks, two more fresh cases had been reported from Kalaburagi, which had reported the first death of the country.

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News Network
March 3,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Bengaluru mayor Gautam Kumar on Tuesday said that the decision to ban protests in front of Town Hall was made by the council and not only by him.

"The decision to ban the protest in front of the Town Hall was made by the entire council and not only my decision. Also, the things which are approved by the councillor are also read by the ruling party leaders," Bengaluru mayor told media.

"Still it is the discretion of the Commissioner to take a call after the council also. As of now, we have banned any protests in front of Town Hall," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders staged a protest against Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Mayor Gautam Kumar and BJP at Council BBMP building against the decision.

"If people will start protesting, it will badly affect the traffic of the city," said Kumar, while commenting on the protest. If they want to talk about the matter, let us have a healthy discussion. I don't have a problem with and I don't think the ruling party has a problem too," he added.

On Sunday, pro-Kannada activist and former MLA Vatal Nagraj staged a protest in front of Sir KP Puttanna Chetty Town Hall (Bangalore Town Hall) against the decision taken by Bengaluru mayor.

Talking to reporters, Nagraj had said: "He does not know the history of the Town Hall. It is a historic building and protests can be staged there."

"Mayor's decision is against Bengaluru's tradition and culture, that's why we are condemning it and are protesting against this decision. We will not allow Mayor's programs in Bengaluru and he will be shown black flags", he added.

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