Breaking significant ground in counter-terrorism, the NIA court in Kolkata has convicted and sentenced Syed M Idris to a decade behind bars for his role in Lashkar-e-Taiba’s West Bengal recruitment drive. Hailing from Karnataka, Idris was central to radicalizing local Muslim youth and linking them to the outlawed group’s Pakistani headquarters for anti-India operations.
Guilty on IPC and UAPA counts, his 10-year rigorous sentence comes with a hefty Rs 70,000 fine. The ruling reflects meticulous investigative work exposing hidden terror cells.
Inherited from West Bengal Police in April 2020, the probe led to Idris’s arrest with Jammu-Kashmir associate Altamash Ahmad Rather. It all began with Tania Parveen’s March 2020 capture in Baduria, where STF seized jihadi texts during a targeted sweep.
Social media emerged as the primary tool for indoctrination, building LeT’s local module. NIA’s chargesheets in 2020-21 indicted the arrested three and fugitives Ayesha (multiple aliases) and Bilal Durani from Pakistan, with global alerts issued.
With cases against remaining accused ongoing, NIA vows relentless pursuit. This sentencing not only punishes the guilty but deters future recruits, safeguarding India’s sovereignty.