Bengaluru: The Special Court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday sentenced 13 members of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-E-Islami for plotting to kill journalists, politicans and police officers to five years’ imprisonment apart from imposing a fine of Rs 7,000.
Justice Muralidhar Pai of the NIA Special Court passed the order. The following are the accused who are sentenced to five years’ imprisonment apart from imposing fine: Syed Tanzim Ahmed and Dr Imran Ahmed of Bengaluru, Dr Nayeem Siddiqi of Davangere, Ubaid ur Rehman of Hyderabad, Shoib Ahmed Mirza alias Chotu, Abdul Hakeem Jamdar, Riaz Ahmed Baihatti, Jaffar Iqbal Sholapur, Mohammed Sadiq Laskhar, Mehaboob Bagalkot, Baba alias Mehaboob Bagalkot and Wahid Hussain alias Sahil.

The accused, who have been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, including conspiracy and being part of a terrorist gang and under Arms Act, pleaded guilty on Thursday before the NIA special court. Sources said that since the accused have already spent four years, they will probably be out in a year’s time.

According to sources, in 2012, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths received a tip off that the accused had hatched a conspiracy to kill important personalities and BJP Lok Sabha members Pratap Simha and Prahlad Joshi, editor of Kannada Prabha Vishveswara Bhat, senior police officials B Dayananda, DM Krishnamraju, Nyame Gowda, Bajrang Dal leader Ganu Jartarkar were on their hit list. After arresting them, CCB sleuths seized the illegal firearms and ammunition from them. A case was registered in Basaveshwaranagar police station, following which it was transferred to the NIA. The NIA, after questioning over 300 witnesses, filed a detailed chargesheet.