The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed chargesheet before the Special Court in Poonamallee against six accused in the Special Sub-Inspector Wilson murder case.
The six suspects — Abdul Shameem, 30, and Y. Thowfeek, 27, of Kanyakumari district, Khaja Mohideen, 53, and Jaffar Ali, 26, of Cuddalore district, and Mahboob Pasha, 48, Ejas Pasha, 46, of Bengaluru have been charged under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 506 (ii)(criminal intimidation) of IPC read with provisions of Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act and Arms Act.
Special Sub-Inspector of Kaliyakkavilai police station Wilson was shot and stabbed to death on January 8, early this year at 9.20 p.m. by Abdul Shameem (A-1) and Thowfeek (A-2), while the officer was performing duty at Kaliyakkavilai Market Road check post. After the arrest of the assailants on January 15, it was revealed that they had committed the murder with the intention to create terror in the minds of people, including the police, as part of waging violent jihad. The case was taken up for investigation by NIA from Kaliyakkavilai police.
Special public prosecutor C.S.S. Pillai filed the chargesheet before the special court here in Poonamallee on Friday.
The chargesheet alleged that Khaja Mohideen (A-3) was a member of the proscribed terrorist organisation IS. He had radicalised Abdul Shameem (A-1) and Thowfeek (A-2), since May 2019, on the jihadi ideology and recruited them into his terrorist gang to carry out violent attacks against the establishment especially the police, in Tamil Nadu, to bring Islamic Rule or Shariah.
The NIA said in October 2019, Khaja Mohideen (A-3) had also instructed Mahboob Pasha (A-4) and Ejas Pasha (A-5) of Bengaluru and Jaffer Ali (A-6) of Cuddalore to procure illegal firearms and prohibited ammunition for carrying out the attacks. After mid-December in 2019, on instructions of Khaja Mohideen, the assailants Abdul Shameem and Thowfeek were sheltered in Karnataka and Maharashtra by Mahboob Pasha and they were subsequently provided illegal firearms and prohibited ammunition.
In early January 2020, when State police arrested the associates of Mahboob Pasha in Bengaluru and started pursuing Khaja Mohideen and others, Khaja Mohideen instructed Abdul Shameem and Thowfeek to attack the Tamil Nadu police at check-posts along the inter-State border in Kanniyakumari district.
Consequently, the assailants travelled to Kaliyakkavilai on January 8 and knowingly attacked SSI Wilson while he was discharging his duty at 9.20 p.m. After committing the terrorist act, they escaped towards Kerala and concealed the knife and illegal firearm used in the attack near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Stand in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, respectively. The assailants further proceeded to Kozhikode, changed their appearance and then travelled to Maharashtra to live in disguise before returning to Udupi in Karnataka, where they were arrested on January 15, the NIA said in its chargesheet.