NIA files fourth supplementary charge-sheet

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed the fourth supplementary charge-sheet before the Bankshall Court in connection with the Khagragarh blast against three more activists of the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

In the earlier charge-sheets, the Central investigating agency had mentioned names of 30 accused. Nine of the accused are still at large.

In the charge-sheet filed on Monday, names of Mohammad Rubel, alias Rafiq, Jahidul Islam and Md Sahidul Islam. Two of them were residents of Bangladesh and one is from Assam.

Rubel and Jahidul are residents of Rajshahi and Delduar respectively in Bangladesh while Sahidul is a resident of Barpeta in Assam. Investigation has revealed that the accused had planned to carry out attacks in places of Bangladesh and had made their base at Khagragarh. But for many reasons they had failed to take up the task.

Investigation has revealed that the accused had planned to carry out attacks in places of Bangladesh and had made their base at Khagragarh. But for many reasons they had failed to take up the task.

It was when an accidental blast took place inside a house in Burdwan district's Khagragarh on October 2, 2014, killing two JMB militants and injuring another, the lid was blown off their conspiracy.

All three of them were booked under various sections on charges of waging or attempting to wage war against the state.

It may be mentioned that on September 26, 2016 the Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) had arrested six top leaders of JMB including Rubel, Jahidul and Sahidul. The arrest had also foiled the attempt of the outfit of carrying out terror attack in Assam. The NIA had taken five of the six arrested activists in their custody.

The STF officers had arrested Jahidul from Cachar in Assam. He was initially arrested for his involvement with a fake currency racket. The STF officers later came to know that he was the same person whose was also involved in the Khagragarh blast.

Subsequently, Rubel, who is an IED expert, was arrested from near the India-Bangladesh border when they were on way to a hideout in a bus on the Bongaon-Baghdah Road. He was in-charge of inducting JMB leaders from Bangladesh in India.

Sahidul Islam, alias Surya and another members of the outfit, Maulana Yusuf, alias Abu Bakar alias Yusuf Sheikh, were arrested from Natun Bazar at Basirhat in North 24 Parganas. Sahidul was the outfit's chief for the North-East states and had been in-charge to induct more youth in the outfit.