On Wednesday, 30th December, a special court of the National Investigation Agency in Assam’s Guwahati pronounced a major verdict in a terror conspiracy case. The court awarded life imprisonment to terrorist Mohammad Kamaruj Zaman, also known as Kamaruddin, who was found to be linked with the Pakistan-based Islamic terror outfit Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen.

The convicted jihadi received three separate punishments under provisions of India’s anti-terror law. Among these, the most severe sentence was life imprisonment. Along with the jail term, the court also imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5,000 on the accused. The sentences awarded will run at the same time, as per the court’s order.

Detailing the judgment, the National Investigation Agency released an official statement on 31st December explaining the nature of the punishment and the legal sections applied in the case. The agency stated, _“Accused Md. Kamruj Zaman @Dr. Hurairah @ Kamaruddin has been awarded three separate SI punishments, with the maximum of life imprisonment. The sentences, which will run concurrently, include imprisonment for life under section 18, UA(P) Act, 1967, and five years SI each under section 18B, UA(P) Act, 1967 read with section 120B IPC, and section 38 of UA(P) Act. The court also awarded the accused Rs. 5,000 as fine, with three months additional SI in case of default, in each of the three instances.”

The agency further explained that this case has its roots in investigations carried out several years ago. According to the NIA, the terror module was first uncovered in 2019, following which multiple individuals were brought under the scanner. The agency said that back in that year, it had filed a chargesheet against five men, namely Kamaruj Zaman, Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam and Omar Faruk.

Providing clarity on the outcome of the trial for the other accused, the NIA added context to the case and its conclusion. The agency noted, “The anti-terror agency had in March 2019 chargesheeted five persons, including the abovementioned four men. While Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam and Omar Faruk were convicted after they pleaded guilty, the fifth accused, identified as Jaynal Uddin, had died of illness during the course of the trial,” the NIA said.

With this verdict, the court has brought closure to a long-running terror conspiracy case, reinforcing the legal consequences faced by individuals involved in extremist activities and underlining the continued efforts of investigative agencies to pursue such cases to their logical end.