NIA files charge sheet against 2 men for raising funds for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan

New Delhi, Oct 10: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday in Bengaluru court filed a charge-sheet against two accused, for raising funds for the activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a proscribed terrorist organisation.

The NIA had alleged that the accused identified as Mohd Arif (42) years, a resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh and Hamraz Worshid Shaikh (27), a resident of Thane, Maharashtra, attempted to radicalise and recruit gullible Muslim youth in India to join the banned terror outfit.

The officials said that Arif was working as a French translator in Bengaluru. Both the accused have been charged under various sections of the UA(P) Act and the IPC.

The NIA investigations had revealed that the accused communicated over encrypted social media applications and in furtherance of conspiracy with the Syria based online handler of TTP.

“Both the accused persons identified gullible Muslim youth in India and attempted to radicalise and recruit them by propagating TTP ideology. These youth were also motivated to do hijrah and to join the TTP for carrying out violent Jihad,” said a senior NIA official.

“Arif also made preparations to illegally cross over to Afghanistan through the Iran-Afghanistan border to join the TTP, along with his family. Arif had applied for Iranian VISA for his entire family and had also booked four flight tickets to Iran and four dummy return flight tickets to India for his family, including his wife and two minor children,” said the official.

“Arif had also booked rooms in the Boshra hotel of Mashhad city of Iran, as per instructions of the online handler,” said the official.

NIA investigations also revealed that the accused Hamraz had sent money to Pakistan for furthering the activities of TTP.

“The accused persons intended to establish Islamic rule in India by overcoming the democratically elected government through violent Jihad. Further investigations against the accused persons and suspects are in progress,” the official added.