NIA court sentences two more accused in ABT case

Guwahati: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here has jailed two more defendants in relation to the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) case.

Under certain provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and UAPA, Imran Hossen and Mufti Suleiman Ali have been sentenced to jail and penalties. The special court in this case had already found seven of the suspects guilty and punished them.

Under section 120(B) of the IPC, the two defendants were sentenced to six months of Simple Imprisonment (SI) and a fine of Rs 500, with an additional 14 days of SI in the event of nonpayment. In accordance with UAPA articles 20, 38, and 39, they have also been penalized with Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for the time already served (2 years, 8 months, and 21 days).

The complaint, which was filed in March 2022, concerns an ABT module connected to Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned international terror group. The module operated in the Assamese area of Barpeta and was led by Saiful Islam, a citizen of Bangladesh.

Eight of the accused were first charged by NIA in August 2022, while two more were charged in a supplemental chargesheet submitted in August 2023. The matter is still being investigated and tried.

Two defendants in the same ABT case were sentenced to jail by the NIA special court more than a week ago.

According to the press release, the defendants, who are both from the Assamese district of Barpeta, were sentenced on Wednesday under many sections of the IPC and UA(P) Act in the case RC- 02/2022/NIA/GUW.

The accused In addition to a punishment of Rs. 1000 in default, Mamunur Rashid has been sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI). One-month simple imprisonment under section 19 of the UA (P) Act and RI for the time already spent—two years, ten months, and thirteen days—under sections 20/38/39 of the UA (P) Act. In addition, he received a three-month term of simple imprisonment under section 120(B) of the IPC.

Mukibul Hussain, another defendant, was given a sentence of 14 days in simple jail under section 120(B) IPC, along with a fine of Rs 500 and six months in simple imprisonment. He has been sentenced to RI for the two years, eight months, and thirteen days that he has already served under sections 20/38/39 of the UA (P) Act, much as his co-accused Mamunur.

An ABT module affiliated with the designated foreign terror organization Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is the subject of the March 2022 lawsuit. Under the leadership of Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam, also known as Haroon Rashid, the module operated in the Assamese area of Barpeta.

In August 2022, the NIA submitted a chargesheet against eight of the accused, and in August 2023, it filed a supplemental chargesheet against two more. The matter is still being investigated and tried.