NIA Court Imposes Rigorous Sentence in JMB Terror Conspiracy Case

The NIA's Special Court in Kolkata sentenced an accused to six years of rigorous imprisonment for involvement in a JMB anti-India terror conspiracy. The accused, Najiur Rahman, Pavel, and Joyram Byapari Joseph, were charged under various IPC and other acts, with a Rs 20,000 fine also imposed.

In a significant development, the Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sentenced one accused to six years of rigorous imprisonment in a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) anti-India terror conspiracy case, as announced in Kolkata on Thursday.

According to an official NIA press release, Najiur Rahman, Pavel, and Joyram Byapari Joseph were convicted and sentenced under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Foreigners Act, and the Indian Passport Act. Alongside the rigorous imprisonment, the court has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the accused.

The origins of the case date back to July 2021, when the STF police in Kolkata registered the case concerning the illegal entry of Bangladeshi national Sk Shabbir and others into India. JMB members had allegedly conspired with associates to wage war against India by recruiting and inciting young Muslims from India and Bangladesh to establish a 'Caliphate'. The NIA took over investigations in August 2021, filing a comprehensive chargesheet in January 2022 against five accused, all in judicial custody. In November 2024, Rabiul Islam, another accused, was convicted to five years of rigorous imprisonment with a similar fine. The trials for the remaining accused are ongoing, as per the central agency.

(With inputs from agencies.)