LUCKNOW, Dec 10: A special court on Tuesday sentenced an operative of the banned terrorist group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) to multiple terms of rigorous imprisonment and life imprisonment for conspiring to attack Hindu temples and other terror activities.
Kamruz Zaman, who hails from Hojai in Assam, has been convicted and sent to jail by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court, Lucknow, in a criminal conspiracy to allegedly carry out terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India, the NIA said in a statement.
The case was re-registered by the NIA after taking over the investigation from Anti Terrorists Squad, Lucknow, in September 2018.Five accused were charge sheeted in the case and they include absconding accused Osama Bin Javed, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in September 2019.
The NIA investigations established that accused Zaman, along with co-accused, allegedly had hatched a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India, and had conspired to carry out preparatory acts with a view to allegedly target various Hindu temples, the NIA said.
He was also involved in raising funds, knowing that the funds would be used by HuM members for terrorist acts. It was further found during investigations that Zaman was radicalised by accused Osama Bin Javed to join the proscribed terrorist organisation.
They were both recruited by two active militants, namely Mohammad Amin, a “district commander” of HuM, and Riyaz Ahmad alias Hazari, a “district deputy commander of HuM, both residents of Kishtwar in jammu and Kashmir.
The two HuM militants were also involved in the physical and weapons handling training of Zaman and Javed in the forests of Kishtwar, following which Zaman was instructed to set up bases, hideouts and select targets in UP, Assam and other parts of India for carrying out terrorist activities, the NIA said.
Accordingly, Zaman had come to Kanpur (UP) where he had also carried out reconnaissance of a few targets.
The NIA Special Court sentenced Zaman to 10 years RI with a Rs 10,000 fine, life imprisonment with a Rs 10,000 fine, another 10 years RI with a Rs 10,000 fine, another life imprisonment with a Rs 10,000 fine and yet another 10 years RI with a Rs 10,000 fine under various sections of the laws.
He will undergo an additional three months of simple imprisonment in case of default of fine in each case and all the sentences will run concurrently, the agency said in the statement. (PTI
