Terror Convict Saquib Nachan Passes Away: A History of Violence and Radicalization

Saquib Nachan, a known terrorist with ties to the Islamic State (ISIS), passed away at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on Saturday, officials from Tihar Jail confirmed. Nachan, who had been incarcerated at Tihar since late December 2023, was transferred to the hospital due to deteriorating health conditions.

Initially admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital on June 22, he was later moved to Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment on June 25. The administration at Tihar Jail was informed of his death on Saturday at around 4 pm, with reports indicating his passing occurred at 11:30 am. Nachan was convicted for his role in the 2002 and 2003 Mumbai bomb blasts and also notorious as a self-appointed Amir-e-Hind for ISIS in India.

In June 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charges against Nachan and 16 other ISIS operatives, accusing them of orchestrating a conspiracy to recruit and radicalize youths, create explosives, and disseminate ISIS propaganda across India. The charges included offenses under the IPC, UA(P) Act, Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act. The investigation revealed a broad conspiracy to advance ISIS's ideology, involving recruitment, explosive fabrication, and funding activities.

The NIA's probe unveiled the seizure of several incriminating materials and data related to explosives manufacturing and IED fabrication. Publications like 'Voice of Hind', 'Rumiyah', 'Khilafat', and 'Dabiq', propagated by ISIS, were also discovered. The agency found that the accused had shared digital IED fabrication files with associates and actively engaged in fund-raising efforts to support their terror plans, aimed at disrupting India's secular and democratic framework.

The accused executed preparatory actions for potential terror attacks, including the recruitment of at-risk youths into their folds. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)