Karnataka (Islamist/Other Conflicts): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2023

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 5, conducted searches at six locations in Karnataka in four Districts of Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru and arrested two Islamic State (IS) militants, identified as Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh, a resident of Varamballi, Bramhavar, Udupi District and Huzair Farhan Baig, a resident of 1st main, 7th Cross, Tippu Sultan Nagar, Shivamogga District, reports The New Indian Express. The place of arrest is yet to be disclosed. The case relates to a conspiracy hatched by the accused to further the terror activities of the IS and to endanger the unity, security and sovereignty of the country. The investigation revealed that Reshaan was radicalised by Maaz Muneer, another accused arrested earlier on September 20. The arrested duo received funds from their IS handler through Crypto-wallets for furthering the terrorist activities of the Islamic State. It was also revealed that as part of their larger designs, the accused also indulged in arson and targeting of vehicles and other establishments, such as liquor shops, godowns, transformers etc. Digital devices and incriminating documents were seized from the houses of the accused and the suspects during the search operation. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 6, arrested a student of a mechanical engineering college in Bangaluru, identified as Rihan Shaikh for his suspected links with the cooker blast that took place in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022, reports Daiji World. The NIA officials raided the flat of the accused, situated at Varamballi, Brahmavar taluk in Udupi District in Karnataka and took into custody a few documents and questioned the family members of Rihan. The NIA revealed that the Rihan had close contact with suspected Islamic State (IS) terrorist Maaz Muneer, who was earlier arrested on September 20 from Shivamogga and was said to done experimental blast on Tunga river bank near Purale of Shivamogga. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 10 arrested two suspected operatives of the Islamic State (IS), identified as Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed, both belonging to Karnataka, from an unspecified location in Karnataka, reports The Hindu. They were arrested in the Shivamogga conspiracy case. With this, the total number of arrests in the case have reached to six. Read less...

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 11 conducted raids at over four locations in Karnataka, including at a building in Thirthahalli taluk (administrative division) of Shivamogga District, owned by a person with suspected links to Mohammed Shariq, main accused in the Mangaluru blast case, reports The Print. The raids were conducted to probe “terror financing” in connection to the Mangaluru blast case of November 19, 2022. According to sources, the ED had registered a fresh case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to probe “money generated for terror activities” and where it had been spent. Read less...

A special NIA Court in Bengaluru on January 13, awarded seven-year rigorous imprisonment to four members of the proscribed outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), identified as Kador Kazi alias Mijanur Rahaman, Mustafizur Rahman alias Tuhin, Adil Sheikh alias Asadullah, and Abdul Karim alias Korim, in a case pertaining to the seizure of large quantities of electrical and electronics items, tools, chemical apparatus, containers used for fabrication of bombs and Improvised Explosive Device IEDs from the hideout of the JMB operatives, reports daijiworld.com. The case was initially registered by Karnataka Police in Bengaluru in 2019 and registered by NIA later. The NIA stated, "Our investigations established that the accused had raised funds by committing dacoity at various places in Bengaluru with the intention of furthering the activities of JMB in India. They had also collected explosive materials and test fired a rocket launcher for commission of terror acts. The proceeds of crime in the form of gold was sold by the accused for raising funds for carrying out terror activities. Eleven accused have been arrested and chargesheeted so far, while three of them were convicted earlier.” Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 19, filed chargesheet in a special NIA Court in Bengaluru, against two persons, identified as Akthar Hussain Laskar alias Md Hussain, a resident of Assam, and Abdul Aleem Mondal alias Md Juba alias Md Jubah, a resident of West Bengal for having affiliations with Al-Qaeda in connection with conspiracy hatched to send youths to Kashmir and Khorasan province of Afghanistan to undergo terrorist training, reports Big News Network. The case was initially registered on July 24, 2022, at Thilaknagar Police Station in Bengaluru in Karnataka and re-registered by the NIA on August 30, 2022. The NIA stated, "Investigations revealed that the accused were affiliated with Al-Qaeda, a proscribed terrorist organisation. Based on the directions of online handlers, the accused tried to recruit youth, to wage war against India and further they were planning to leave for the Khorasan Province of Afghanistan for terrorist training. During investigations, a lot of incriminating Jihadi materials were recovered at the instance of the accused." Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 20, filed a chargesheet against 20 operatives of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in a NIA special court in Bengaluru with regard to the murder of Praveen Nettaru, who was a resident of Bellare in Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka and the late District Secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) by suspected operatives of the PFI on July 26, 2022, reports The Indian Express. THE NIA in its chargesheet stated that the targeted killing was part of PFI’s plan to create terror to further its agenda of establishing an Islamic rule in India by 2047. The case was initially investigated by Karnataka Police but later transferred to the NIA. Those chargesheeted were identified as Mahammed Shiyab, Abdul Basheer, Riyaz, Mustafa Paichar alias Mahmmad Mustafa, Masud K A, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Noufal M, Ismail Shafi, K Mahammad Iqbal, Shaheed M, Mahammad Shafeek, Ummar Farook, Abdul Kabeer, Muhammad Ibrahim Sha, Sainul Abid, Shekh Saddam Hussain, Zakiar A, N Abdul Haris, and Thufail M H. NIA sources stated that among the chargesheeted, Shiyab, Basheer and Riyaz were directly involved in the attack on Nettaru. Among the chargesheeted accused, Mustafa Paichar, Masud K A, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Ummar Farook M R and Thufail M H are absconding. NIA sources further stated that a cash reward of INR 5,00,000 each had been declared by the NIA on two of the accussed PFI operatives, namely Kodaje Mohammed Sherif and Masud KA, both residents of Kannada District in Karnataka, ABP Live added. The NIA had in November, 2022 announced cash rewards of a total INR 14,00,000 for those sharing information on four suspects namely S Mahammad Musthafa from Bellare, M H Tufail from Madikeri in Kodagu District, M R Ummar Farook from Kallumutlumane and Abubakkar Siddik from Bellare in Karnataka. Read less...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its probe into the murder of Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Youth Leader Praveen Nettaru in 2022, reveals that Popular Front of India (PFI) had marked 21 mosques where they could hide weapons whenever required, reports India Today on January 27. It is revealed that PFI, as part of its agenda to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to further its agenda of establishing Islamic Rule by 2047, formed secret teams called ‘Service Teams’ to carry out killings of its targets. The charge sheet also mentioned that it was Mustafa Paichar alias Mahmmad Musthaf who had ordered the last-minute killing of Praveen Nettaru as 'PFI vowed to avenge’ the killing of Muslim youth Kalanja Masood in July 2022 in Karnataka. Read less...