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Mumbai: A special NIA court on Thursday convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each, three more Bangladeshi nationals, arrested in 2018 for harbouring Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) terrorists in Pune. The three, Mohammed Habib, Hannan Khan and Mohd Subhanallah, were found guilty under the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act.
The NIA alleged that the accused illegally entered India, obtained fraudulent Indian identity documents, and provided shelter and financial support to ABT members, including key operative Samad Mia.
Last year, the court convicted and sentenced two labourers to five years’ rigorous imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to entering the country illegally and on forged documents. The court found the duo, Ripen Hossain and Hassanali Amirali, both 32, guilty of charges related to the Foreigners Act and Indian Penal Code. They were arrested in 2018. The duo told the court they entered the country illegally with the intent to find employment. The trial will continue against three other accused.
Observing that the accused willingly pleaded guilty, Special Judge B D Shelke then said, “They deeply regret their actions, which were unlawful and in violation of Indian laws. They are fully aware that their actions not only compromised the integrity of India’s legal and immigration system but also posed a potential security risk. They acknowledge the seriousness of these offences and the consequences they entail.”
The case was initially investigated by the ATS, Unit Pune, that arrested Habib, Hossain, and Khan, who were suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals and in touch with ABT members. On March 16, 2018, an FIR was registered for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Passport (Entry into India) Rules, and Foreigner’s Act. During investigations, on the basis of the disclosure statement of the arrested accused, on March 19, 2018, two more accused, Amirali and Subhanallah, were arrested. Subsequently, NIA took over the investigations.
NIA, which took over the case in May 2018, found that the arrested Bangladeshi nationals illegally infiltrated into India. They fraudulently obtained PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, ration cards, among others, under fictitious names by providing fake documents. They used these documents for procuring Indian SIM cards, opening bank accounts, and seeking employment in India. NIA investigations further revealed that the accused harboured and funded several ABT cadres, including a key member, Samad Mia.
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