NIA files supplementary chargesheet in Kasaragod ISIS case

The NIA on Thursday filed a supplementary charge sheet against alleged terrorist Riyas Aboobacker in the ISIS Kasaragod case before a Special NIA Court at Ernakulam in Kerala, an agency spokesperson said. Riyas Aboobacker (29) alias Riyas A was arrested in April this year from Palakkad for allegedly conspiring to commit a terrorist act in the state.

The NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet under Section 120B for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and Sections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the spokesperson said in a statement. The probe by the agency showed that a conspiracy was hatched from mid-2015 onwards by 14 people from Kasaragod and their associates to join and support ISIS in Afghanistan and Syria. They joined the terror outfit in May-July 2016, the spokesperson said.

In April this year, the NIA learned that Aboobacker and his three associates were radicalized by Abdul Rashid Abdulla and Ashfak Majeed, both of whom were accused in the case. The two had allegedly through social media platforms influenced him to join the ISIS, the NIA said. In April, the agency conducted searches and Aboobacker was arrested.

The investigation found out that Aboobacker, from July 2018, had contacted his associates and shared the ideology of ISIS. In October, he organized conspiracy meetings at Kochi, where he had decided to carry out suicide attacks for furthering the terror outfit's activities in India. In addition to that, the NIA officials found that Riyaz had also motivated and sought support from his co-conspirators for carrying out the terrorist acts.

The NIA said it is further investigating the case to trace the absconding accused against whom Interpol red corner notices have been issued.