Mumbai News: Special NIA Court Denies Bail To IT Professional For Allegedly Spreading ISIS Ideology

Mumbai: A special NIA court has refused to grant bail to IT professional Zubair Shaikh, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly spreading ISIS ideology. The court held that he and other accused were “provoking Muslim youths to join ISIS and following the ideology of ISIS”.

The NIA has claimed that Pune resident Shaikh was working on robotics process automation before he was arrested for links with ISIS. It is alleged that Shaikh had began radicalising youth in 2015 and had created a group on WhatsApp where he posted messages in support of the terror group.

Advocate Hasnain Kazi, appearing for the accused, submitted that the entire case against Shaikh is based on WhatsApp chats and emails. The allegations made against the accused do not fall under provisions of the UAPA, Kazi contended.

The court, referring to the WhatsApp chats, said, “These [messages] shows the ideology spread by the accused and members in the WhatsApp group. There are many objectionable messages in these documents and which provokes other Muslims to follow the ideology of ISIS. There are many anti-national messages in these documents. It shows how this accused and other co-accused were provoking Muslim youths to join ISIS and follow the ideology of ISIS.”

“The material placed on record prima facie shows that this accused and other co-accused had hatched conspiracy and were engaged in carrying out activities in India threatening the integrity, security and sovereignty in India,” the court said while rejecting the bail plea.

The NIA last year had submitted chargesheet against Shaikh and five other accused claiming that they were allegedly engaged in actively propagating the violent and extremist ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and carrying out acts preparatory to terrorist violence through the recruitment of individuals to the organisation and its cause.