New Delhi: Islamic State sympathisers were planning lone wolf attacks to target government employees, security forces, investigating agencies and 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 against Abdullah Basith and Abdul Qhadeer, both from Hyderabad, who were involved in identifying, motivating, radicalising the gullible Muslim youths to join hands with them to conduct subversive activities in India. The NIA arrested them on August 12, 2018. They are 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 Md Farhan had pleaded guilty and were jailed for 7 years while the trial against Hassan is still on. In the supplementary chargesheet in Feb, it was revealed Basith was in touch with Matin Azizi.
The US-based Matin Azizi Yarand was arrested by the FBI on May 2, 2018 for links with IS and 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. Between November and December 2017, Azizi provided Basith the contact of one Huzaifa, a Pak 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 advised Basith to plan for lone wolf attacks. Huzaifa assured Basith of arranging funds to buy vehicles for the lone wolf attacks. Basith wanted to target netas, govt employees, security agencies, RSS members and the Hindus, the NIA said. Huzaifa instructed Basith to collect and keep ready funds for the IS cadres in India and abroad. Basith was told to be ready for the tasks.
In June-July 2018 Basith deposited Rs49,000 in a bank account provided by Huzaifa. Then, Huzaifa directed two boys to collect weapons from a man to be handed to Kashmiri boys, it said. However, when the the two went to collect the weapons, they were intercepted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. However, it set them free after a couple of days’ counselling. After the brief detention, Basith feared of arrest and contacted Huzaifa for Kashmiri contacts to join Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).
On July 28, 2018, Basith reached Delhi in his second bid and changed looks. However, the Kashmiri boy who was supposed to give him the weapons was held by Delhi Police. Basith went missing, but on August 12, 2018, NIA arrested him in Hyderabad.