The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Mumbai sentenced three Bangladeshis to five years in prison on Thursday for harbouring terrorists linked to the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a terrorist group associated with Al Qaeda. The convicted individuals—Mohammed Habibur Rehman Habib, also known as Raj Jesub Mandal, Hannan Anwar Hussain Khan alias Hannan Baburali Gazi, and Mohd Azarali Subhanallah alias Raja Jesub Mandal—were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Foreigners Act. Each of them was also fined Rs. 2,000.
This brings the total number of convictions in the case to five. In October 2023, two other accused, Ripen Hussain and Mohammad Hasan Ali Mohammad Amer Ali, were sentenced to five years in prison.
The case dates back to March 2018, when Pune Police received information about several Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the city and aiding members of ABT, a front group of the banned terrorist organization Al Qaida. The police intercepted Habib at Dhobighat, Bhairoba Nala, in Pune, which led to the arrest of five Bangladeshi nationals.
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When the NIA took over the investigation in May 2018, it was discovered that the accused had entered India illegally, using fake documents to fraudulently obtain PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ration cards. These documents were used to procure Indian SIM cards, open bank accounts, and seek employment. The investigation also revealed that the accused had been involved in harbouring and funding ABT members, including a key operative, Samad Mia.