Bangladeshi man awarded 29 years imprisonment in Khagragarh blast case

A special NIA court on Wednesdaysentenced a Bangladeshi citizen, one of the prime accused inthe Khagragarh blast case of 2014, to consecutive terms ofimprisonment totalling 29 years for offences including wagingwar against any Asiatic power which is in alliance with thegovernment of India.

Special NIA judge Suvendu Samanta sentenced SheikhKausar to five years each on five counts and two years eachfor two other offences, which he will have to undergoconsecutively.

The judge directed that Kausar, who admitted his guiltbefore the court, will also have to pay a total fine of Rs29,000 for the offences.

Kausar was convicted under various sections ofUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), for waging waragainst any Asiatic power which is in alliance with thegovernment of India, Foreigners' Act and criminal conspiracy,NIA counsel Shyamal Ghosh said.

Links with terror group Jamaat-ul-MujahideenBangladesh (JMB) were found in the blast that occurred onOctober 2, 2014.

Two suspected terrorists were killed and a third wasinjured while they were making bombs and explosive devices ata rented house in Khagragarh locality of Bardhaman town ofWest Bengal.

With the sentencing of Kausar, 31 of the total 33accused in the case have been found guilty and sentenced. Theremaining two are absconding.

The NIA had filed the primary chargesheet in the casein March 2015, saying that there was a ''conspiracy of JMB, aproscribed organisation in Bangladesh, to overthrow theexisting government in Bangladesh through violent terroristacts''.

The investigation, which was first taken over by thestate CID, was transferred to the NIA within a few days.