Terrorist who plotted mass killings of foreigners gets life imprisonment

kolkata: Special NIA Court has awarded ISIS-linked terrorist Md. Masiuddin, alias Musa, with life imprisonment on Friday for his involvement in anti-national activities.

Musa is the first ISIS terrorist to be convicted in Bengal. Musa's name cropped up during the investigation of Khagragarh explosion case in Burdwan, which had taken place on October 2, 2014. In 2016, Musa was arrested from a Bolpur-bound train in July when the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid, acting on a tip off. A revolver along with a few rounds of bullet and a knife were seized from Musa after he was arrested.

NIA took over the investigation and Musa was handed over to the central agency. Sleuths had come to know that Musa got in touch with the ISIS handlers through social media and planned a mass killing of foreigners. NIA also found that MUSA had targeted several tourism location of the country for his anti-national activities. In the chargesheet filed by the NIA, it was mentioned that Musa was planning an attack on the Mother House in Kolkata, where a large number of foreigners visit. NIA had informed the FBI about Musa. Later, their officers came to the city and interrogated the ISIS terrorist in Presidency Correctional Home. During his stay in Presidency Correctional Home, Musa had attacked a warden. The ISIS terrorist even had thrown shoes at a judge of the City Sessions Court during the trial period. However, the shoes missed the judge and landed behind him.

On Friday, Musa was held guilty for concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war, collecting arms, etc., with intention of waging war against the Government of India, conspiring to commit certain offences against the state and criminal conspiracy along with other charges under the UAPA like punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation, offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation and punishment for conspiracy. Chief Judge of the NIA Special Court Siddhartha Kanjilal asked Musa if he had to say anything but the ISIS terrorist did not utter a single word.