NIA court finds two guilty in murder of retired school principal based in UP

NEW DELHI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Monday found two accused guilty of killing a retired school principal belonging to Kanpur in fulfillment and furtherance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) agenda by spreading fear and terror among the people.

The Lucknow Special Court held the accused guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Arms Act.

The quantum of sentence against the accused, Atif Muzaffar and Md Faisal Khan, both residents of Kanpur Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, will be pronounced on September 11.

The victim, Ram Babu Shukla, the Kanpur-based retired principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School in Kanpur, was killed on October 24, 2016, while he was returning home on a bicycle. He was attacked by the accused near Pyondi village in Kanpur.

The anti-terror agency had filed a chargesheet against the two accused on July 12, 2018, after elaborate investigations, which revealed that the men had been radicalised by the ISIS ideology and were out to kill people whom they believed to be disbelievers (Qafirs).

A third accused, Mohammad Saifulla, had died in the exchange of fire with Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad on the night of March 7, 2017. Investigations by the NIA revealed that the accused were operating under the influence of ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation.

They had conspired to carry out terrorist activities (Jihad) in India by targeting non-Muslims through violent acts. In furtherance of their conspiracy to promote the ISIS ideology and agenda, they murdered Shukla to strike terror and alarm in the minds of the common people.

The case was initially registered on October 24, 2016, at Chakeri Police Station in Kanpur Nagar. The NIA had taken over the case from Uttar Pradesh Police in November 2017 and re-registered a fresh case.