NIA files supplementary charge sheet in TN IS radicalisation case

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against seven individuals and a registered society, the Kovai Arabic Educational Association (KAEA), in connection with the 2023 Tamil Nadu ISIS radicalisation and recruitment case, the investigation agency said in a statement.

The filing adds to the agency’s ongoing probe into extremist indoctrination linked to the 2022 Coimbatore car-bomb blast.

The charge sheet, submitted under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, names seven students of Madras Arabic College: Mohammed Hussain, Irshath, Ahmed Ali, Aboo Hanifa, Jawahar Sadiq, Sheikh Dawood, and Raja Mohammed.

Hussain and Irshath had already been charged in the earlier filing and now face additional sections.

The society KAEA, which managed the college, has also been arraigned as a legal entity, said the statement. The case, registered suo motu by NIA’s Chennai branch in August 2023, centres on the radicalisation of vulnerable youth by an IS-inspired group operating under the guise of free Arabic language classes.

Investigators found that extremist sermons were disseminated through online platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and Telegram, alongside regular classroom sessions. These lectures, delivered live or via recordings by college principal Jameel Basha, allegedly promoted radical ideology and incited students toward terrorist activities.

Earlier, the NIA had chargesheeted four individuals, including Basha himself, after an investigation into the October 2022 Coimbatore car bomb blast.

The probe revealed that fourteen of the eighteen accused in the Coimbatore blast were students of Kovai Arabic College, underscoring the institution’s central role in the recruitment network.

By naming the KAEA society in its supplementary chargesheet, the NIA has sought to hold accountable not only individuals but also the organisational framework that facilitated radicalisation.

The move reflects the agency’s broader strategy of dismantling support structures that enable extremist groups to operate under educational or cultural cover.

The latest filing strengthens the prosecution’s case against those accused of spreading IS propaganda and attempting to draw young people into violent extremism.

It also highlights the agency’s continued focus on monitoring online platforms and educational institutions that may be exploited for radicalisation.

–IANS

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