Islamic State sympathisers were planning lone wolf attacks to target government employees, security forces, investigating agencies and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members, National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a chargesheet filed recently in a Delhi court.

The NIA's revelations are mentioned in its supplementary chargesheet filed against Abdullah Basith and Abdul Qhadeer, both from Hyderabad who were involved in identifying, motivating, radicalizing the gullible Muslim youths to join hands with them in their attempt to carry out subversive activities in India.

The NIA arrested both of them on August 12, 2018. They are currently in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet on July 20, 2016 against three accused -- Sheikh Azhar-Ul-Islam alias Abdul Sattar Sheikh, Mohammed Farhan alias Mohammed Rafiq Shaikh and Adnan Hassan alias Mohammad Hussain.

Sheikh Azhar-Ul-Islam and Mohammed Farhan had pleaded guilty and were sentenced to seven years in jail while the trial against Hassan is still going on.

In the supplementary chargesheet filed in February, it was revealed that Basith was in touch with Matin Azizi

The US-based Matin Azizi Yarand was arrested by the FBI on May 2, 2018 for having links with IS and for planning to carry out a mass shooting at Suburban Dallas Mall. Azizi posted articles related to the "persecution" of Muslims in Kashmir, Assam and other parts of India.

According to the NIA chargesheet, during November and December 2017, Azizi provided Basith the contact of one Huzaifa who is believed to be a Pakistani national and has migrated to Afghanistan.

The NIA said in March and April 2018, Huzaifa asked Basith to procure weapons from Punjab, Delhi and Bihar. Huzaifa also advised Basith to plan for lone wolf attacks.

Huzaifa assured Basith of arranging funds for buying vehicles to carry out the lone wolf attacks. Basith expressed his intention of targeting politicians, government employees, security agencies, RSS members and the Hindus, the agency said.

Huzaifa instructed Basith to collect and keep ready some amount to fund the IS cadres in India and abroad. Basith was told that he would soon be assigned tasks.

In June-July 2018 Basith deposited Rs 49,000 in a bank account provided by Huzaifa. Thereafter, Huzaifa directed two boys to collect weapons from a man to be handed to Kashmiri boys, the agency said.

However, when the the two went to collect the weapons, they were intercepted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. However, Delhi Police set them free after counselling them for a couple of days.

After their brief detention, Basith feared of his arrest and contacted Huzaifa to give him some Kashmiri contacts to join Islamic State of (ISJK), NIA said in the chargesheet.

On July 28 2018, Basith reached Delhi in his second attempt and changed his looks. However, the Kashmiri boy who was supposed to provide him the weapons was arrested by Delhi Police.

Basith went missing, but on August 12 2018, NIA arrested him in Hyderabad.

(Amiya Kumar Kushwaha can be reached at amiya.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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