Four ISIS Operatives Sentenced in ‘Voice of Hind’ Case

• Four ISIS operatives sentenced in the ‘Voice of Hind’ case.
• Three accused get six years; one receives five years in prison.
• Court imposes fines ranging from ₹9,000 to ₹36,000.
• Trial against the remaining accused is still pending.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Sept: An NIA Special Court at Rouse Avenue in Delhi has sentenced four operatives of the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in connection with the ‘Voice of Hind’ terror conspiracy case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2021.

The four accused had pleaded guilty to the charges after spending nearly five years in custody. They were convicted on September 17 and sentenced on September 28. The trial against the remaining accused in the case is continuing.

Special NIA Judge Vikas Dhull sentenced Umar Nisar alias Qasim Khurasani, Rameez Ahmad Lone and Tanveer Ahmad Bhat to six years of rigorous imprisonment each for offences under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Umar Nisar was also sentenced to six years for offences relating to criminal conspiracy under the UAPA.

Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for offences related to preparation and conspiracy under the UAPA and IPC.

The court also imposed fines of ₹36,000 on Umar Nisar, ₹31,000 on Rameez Ahmad Lone, ₹23,000 on Tanveer Ahmad Bhat and ₹9,000 on Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi.

According to the NIA, the accused were involved in activities linked to the dissemination of ISIS propaganda, radicalisation and recruitment of youth, and furthering the activities of the proscribed organisation.

The agency said the case involved an alleged conspiracy to radicalise and recruit young people in India for violent jihad against the Indian state. ISIS operatives based in conflict zones and their associates in India allegedly used online identities and digital platforms to circulate propaganda.

The investigation also revealed the alleged involvement of cyber entities and their associates in creating, editing, publishing and distributing the India-focused ISIS propaganda magazine ‘Sawt-al-Hind’ (The Voice of Hind).

The NIA alleged that the network also sought to motivate and facilitate Indians to undertake so-called hijrat, or migration, to ISIS-controlled conflict theatres in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other regions.

Investigators said they recovered digital and documentary material during the probe, including PDFs of the ‘Voice of Hind’ magazine, radicalising literature, ISIS propaganda links, posters of slain terrorists, chats, audio recordings, banners and flags, as well as material related to weapons procurement and ideological and psychological warfare.

The NIA said Umar Nisar was involved in disseminating ISIS material through the ‘Voice of Hind’ magazine, Telegram and other online channels with the alleged objective of radicalising and recruiting youth.

Rameez Ahmad Lone and Tanveer Ahmad Bhat were found by the agency to have been involved in propagating ISIS ideology and allegedly encouraging youth to join the organisation.

Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi was allegedly involved in publishing and disseminating articles for the ‘Voice of Hind’ magazine through Telegram channels and propagating ISIS ideology.

The NIA had filed a chargesheet and four supplementary chargesheets against eight accused persons. With four accused having pleaded guilty and been sentenced, proceedings against the remaining accused are pending.

The NIA said its investigation established the involvement of the convicted persons in the activities of the ISIS ‘Voice of Hind’ module and their alleged roles in furthering the objectives of the proscribed terrorist organisation through online activities.