Bhopal-Ujjain train blast: NIA chargesheets four men linked to ISIS

The NIA filed a charge sheet on Tuesday against four men linked to the ISIS in connection with the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast in which at least 10 people were injured.

The charge sheet has been filed in a special NIA court in Bhopal.

The accused -- Atif Muzaffar, Mohd Danish alias Jaafar, Syed Mir Hussain alias Hamja Abu Bakkas and Ghaus Mohd Khan, who are residents of Uttar Pradesh -- have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, among others, the NIA said in a statement.

The investigation conducted by the National Investigation Agency found that Muzzaffar had formed a terrorist gang with several members, including Danish, Hussain, Khan and one Saifullah, who owed their allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), the release said.

Action against Saifullah, a resident of Kanpur in UP, has been abated as he is dead, it said.

The NIA case relates to the conspiracy behind planting of a bomb on the passenger train near the Jabari railway station, Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh on March 7, 2017.

“They attended Ahl-e-Hadith (religious) programme at various places and got radicalised after going through online publications, including but not limited to Dabiq and Inspire magazines, of the ISIS.

“They took ‘Bayath’ (oath of allegiance) to the ISIS and also attempted to do ‘Hijrat’ (migration to ISIS territory) several times through Kashmir, Amritsar, Mumbai and other places,” the NIA said.

Having failed to do so, they “conspired to cause subversive activities” threatening the sovereignty of India and the safety and security of the nation, it said.

“To this effect, they shifted to a hideout at Lucknow and collected arms and fabricated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They conducted trial blasts and also killed a teacher at Kanpur in November 2016 using the arms they had purchased,” the NIA said.

One such IED was fabricated at their hideout at Lucknow and carried to Bhopal by Muzaffar, Danish and Hussain by the Pushpak Express on March 7.

After getting down at Bhopal, they planted the bomb on the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train which was waiting at platform number 6, it said.

“The Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train reached the Jabri railway station at 0938 hrs and then left this station at 0939 hrs. As soon as the train reached the main line, at around 0941 hrs, the bomb exploded in coach no WR-084202 GS.

“Some passengers got injured and the coach was damaged. The planters then tried to flee to Lucknow but were apprehended at Pipariya in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh,” the release said.

During investigation, sufficient oral, documentary, technical, forensic and material evidence has been collected which establishes the criminal conspiracy and the terror act committed by these accused, it said.