Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Guwahati has sentenced two individuals from Barpeta district, Assam, for their involvement in a module of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate of the banned terrorist organization Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS).
The sentences were pronounced on Wednesday under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P) Act].
Accused Mamunur Rashid received a sentence of three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of ₹1,000. In default of the fine, he will serve an additional one month of simple imprisonment.
He was also sentenced to RI for a period equivalent to the time already served (two years, ten months, and thirteen days) under sections 20, 38, and 39 of the UA(P) Act, along with three months of simple imprisonment under Section 120(B) of the IPC.
The second accused, Mukibul Hussain, was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹500.
He will also serve simple imprisonment for 14 days under Section 120(B) IPC and rigorous imprisonment equivalent to his time served (two years, eight months, and thirteen days) under sections 20, 38, and 39 of the UA(P) Act.
This case, registered in March 2022, involved an ABT module led by Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam, alias Haroon Rashid, operating in Assam’s Barpeta district.
The NIA had filed its initial chargesheet in August 2022 against eight accused, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against two others in August 2023.
Further investigations and the trial in the case are ongoing. The convictions underline the authorities’ focus on countering terror networks in the region.
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