A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kolkata has sentenced Sayyad M Idris, a resident of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for his role in a Pakistan-sponsored conspiracy to radicalise and recruit Muslim youths in West Bengal for the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), officials said on Thursday.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹70,000 on Idris after convicting him under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The case relates to a LeT-backed recruitment module aimed at mobilising vulnerable youth in West Bengal. The West Bengal Police initially arrested another key operative, Tania Parvin, from Baduria in North 24 Parganas district in March 2020. During the search, authorities recovered secessionist publications from Parvin that reportedly incited Muslim youths to wage ‘jihad’ against India.
In April 2020, the NIA took over the probe and subsequently arrested Idris and another accused in connection with the module. Investigators revealed that the network was allegedly being operated under the direction of handlers based in Pakistan to exploit communal fault lines and spread extremist propaganda.
While Idris has now been convicted and sentenced, the trial is still underway against the other accused in the case, according to NIA officials.
