NIA Court Sentences Islamic State Cadre To 10‑Year Jail In Bengaluru
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bengaluru has sentenced Islamic State cadre Mohamed Shariq to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for propagating the terror group’s ideology and mobilising funds for the banned organisation. The court also imposed a fine of ₹92,000 on Shariq, who is already an accused in the 2022 Mangaluru pressure‑cooker‑bomb blast case.
The NIA stated that Shariq was drawn into the Islamic State network through his associate Arafath Ali, who is named in the Shivamogga IS conspiracy case and is already serving a six‑year sentence. The probe found that Shariq, along with co‑accused Syed Yasin and a foreign‑based ISIS handler, hatched a plan to push terror activities in India and create fear through IED attacks, including a pressure‑cooker bomb that exploded prematurely in an auto‑rickshaw in Mangaluru in November 2022, injuring Shariq and the driver.
The NIA added that Shariq was actively involved in spreading IS propaganda and raising funds for the terror outfit, part of a wider pattern of online radicalisation and crypto‑aided financing that Indian agencies have repeatedly flagged.
The conviction marks a continuation of judicial action against IS‑linked modules across India, with several other operatives having received similar 10‑year‑plus terms for spreading jihadist ideology, recruiting Indian youth, and planning attacks on Hindu temples, tourist hubs, and urban centres.
