New Delhi [India], December 31 : In a significant breakthrough in the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror conspiracy case of Assam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has secured the conviction of the key accused, with the court awarding him a maximum of life imprisonment for his act of "striking terror in the minds of the people".
An NIA court in Assam's Guwahati on Tuesday convicted and sentenced the accused to simple imprisonment (SI).
The accused, Md Kamruj Zaman alias Dr Hurairah alias Kamaruddin, has been awarded three separate SI punishments, with the maximum of life imprisonment. The sentences, which will run concurrently, include imprisonment for life under section 18, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and five years SI each under section 18B, UA(P) Act, 1967, read with section 120B IPC, and section 38 of UA(P) Act.
The court also awarded the accused Rs 5,000 as a fine, with three months additional SI in case of default, in each of the three instances.
The case (RC 08/2018/NIA-GUW) of Jamunamukh, Hojai, Assam, related to a conspiracy by Kamruj Zaman to raise a module of the proscribed HM terror organisation in Assam for carrying out terrorist activities during 2017-18.
NIA said the conspiracy was aimed at "striking terror in the minds of the people."
As per NIA investigations, Kamruj had recruited the accused Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam, Omar Faruk, along with others, for this purpose.
The anti-terror agency had in March 2019 chargesheeted five persons. Of them, Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam and Omar Faruk were convicted after they pleaded guilty; the fifth accused, identified as Jaynal Uddin, had died of illness during the course of the trial.