NIA court sentences three to life in Al-Qaeda-linked case

A special NIA court in Lucknow has sentenced three operatives linked to Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind to life imprisonment for conspiring to wage war against the Government of India and planning coordinated terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh.

Special Judge Jainendra Kumar Pandey convicted Mushiruddin, Minhaz, and Tauheed and imposed fines of Rs 1.42 lakh each on Minhaz and Mushiruddin, and Rs 85,000 on Tauheed. The court held them guilty of involvement in a terror recruitment and explosives conspiracy network aimed at targeting crowded public places and sensitive installations, particularly in Lucknow.

The case originated from an ATS intelligence-led operation on July 11, 2021, after inputs indicated recruitment attempts by an Al-Qaeda-linked handler based along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Acting on the information, ATS raided a residence in the Dubagga-Kakori area, recovering explosives, an illegal pistol, live cartridges, and an improvised explosive device (IED) , leading to arrests.

Investigators said Minhaz was contacted online and recruited into the module, while Mushiruddin was assigned to execute attacks and conduct reconnaissance. The group allegedly planned blasts around August 15, 2021, in reaction to the Ram Mandir verdict, targeting high-footfall and sensitive locations.

The probe was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) , which filed a supplementary chargesheet, examined 42 witnesses , and submitted 149 documents and 109 material exhibits .

Officials said the wider module involved multiple accused, some of whom are still facing trial, while earlier proceedings in related cases have already resulted in convictions and lesser sentences in connected matters.