ISIS radicalisation case: NIA charge sheets four from Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday chargesheeted four accused in a ISIS radicalisation and recruitment case, filed in Tamil Nadu as an offshoot of the 2022 Coimbatore temple car bomb blast case.

The four accused have been identified as Jameel Basha, Mohammed Hussain, Irshath and Syed Abdur Rahman.

They have been charge sheeted under relevant sections of IPC and UA (P) Act.

The chargesheet relates to case filed suo moto by the NIA Chennai branch in August 2023, based on the findings in the Coimbatore car bomb blast case.

NIA, during the course of the investigation into the Coimbatore explosion, had established that majority of the accused arrested in the case were engaged in the recruitment of gullible youth to the ISIS fold for commission of unlawful and terrorist activities.

The religious indoctrination was carried out by the accused at an Arabic language centre called Kovai Arabic College.

Jameel Basha was the patron and chief mentor, who had guided his alumni to establish Arabic language centres at district level.

The centre at Coimbatore was set up by Mohammed Hussain and Irshath.

Social media platforms as well as classroom sessions wereused to radicalise youth at these centres, where Jameel Basha's live or pre-recorded sermons were flashed to the students.

The vehicle-borne IED attacked outside the Coimbatore temple carried out by deceased accused Jamesha Mubeen and he was radicalised by accused Syed Abdur Rahman, one of the accused in this case.