Blast plot during Obama’s visit: NIA court gives vital verdict against IM terrorists

Bengaluru: A special NIA court in Bengaluru has convicted three Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror-ists who plotted to carry out a blast during the 2015 Republic Day celebrations of then US President Barack Obama visit. The terrorists had plotted the blast on instructions from Pakistan.

The verdict mentioned that Dr Syed Ismail Afaq, Abdul Subair and Saddam Hussain, residents of Bhatkal, were found guilty under various sections of the IPC, the Unlaw-ful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act. Among the terrorists, Afaq was married to Arsala Abir from Karachi, Pakistan.A case was registered at the Pulakeshinagar police station in Bengaluru in 2015 re-garding the blast plot. The then ACP of the Central Crime Branch, Thammayya MK, had conducted the investigation and filed the chargesheet under the guidance of the then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) M Chandrashekar. SPP Shankar Bik-kannavar led the prosecution.

The NIA special court will announce the quantum of punishment for the convicts on Wednesday. Riyaz Ahmed Sayeedi and Zainullahuddin of Bhatkal have been acquit-ted in the case. The other accused, Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Alif and Sameer, are absconding.According to the prosecution, when the police team was collecting information in the Church Street blast case, it was found that explosives were being collected. The ter-rorists were later arrested and detonators, gelatin sticks, pipe bombs, explosive mate-rials, circuit boards, timers, gunpowder and other materials used in bombs, and UAE SIM cards were seized.