NIA Court Frames Charges Against Six Men for Operating ISIS Module in Padgha
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday framed charges of criminal conspiracy and terror activities against six men accused of establishing an ISIS module in Padgha, Thane district. Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar read out the charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to the accused, who pleaded not guilty, setting the stage for their trial to commence.
The six accused facing trial are Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Zubair Noor Mohammad Shaikh, Sharjeel Shaikh, Adnanali Sarkar, and Aakif Ateeque Nachan. According to the prosecution, Nachan allegedly handled the module’s activities.
The case originated from an NIA investigation launched in June 2023. The agency acted on intelligence inputs indicating that the accused had formed an active ISIS module in Padgha.
The prosecution alleged that the group used the Padgha module to radicalise vulnerable Muslim youth and swear allegiance to the banned terror organisation. They also allegedly organised clandestine meetings and physical training sessions.
Furthermore, the NIA accused the group of identifying hideouts, conducting reconnaissance of sensitive locations, and making active preparations to carry out terrorist activities across India.
During Thursday's proceedings, the court rejected a last-minute attempt by the defence to delay the case. Counsel for Sharjeel Shaikh made an oral request for a deferment, stating he had recently received instructions to file a discharge application and needed time for his colleague to return with the necessary papers.
Special Judge Baviskar rejected the request, stating that the move was intended to kill time and protract the trial. The judge noted that the accused could and should have filed the discharge application much earlier, rather than waiting for the moment the court was about to frame the charges.
After the charges were framed and the accused pleaded not guilty, the defence filed an application seeking a 10-minute deferment, which the court rejected as infructuous. A subsequent discharge application filed for Shaikh was also declared redundant.
Earlier on Monday, the same court had rejected a discharge application filed by Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient material to proceed with a trial.
