The City Sessions Court in Kolkata on Wednesday sentenced five members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to life imprisonment for plotting terror attacks in the state capital and their involvement in the 2014 Khagragarh blast case in East Burdwan. Rohan Sinha, the magistrate, delivered the verdict on Wednesday after a prolonged trial, during which all five accused confessed to their crimes.
The Kolkata police’s Special Task Force (STF), which led the investigation, successfully established the guilt of the accused. The convicts are Mohammad Rubel, Zahirul Islam, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Anwar Hossain, and Jabirul.
The five militants were arrested by the STF in 2016 from Bongaon, Basirhat in North 24 Parganas, and parts of Assam on charges of sedition. Investigations later revealed that three of them were directly linked to the notorious Khagragarh blast in Burdwan, a case that exposed a widespread JMB network operating in the border regions of West Bengal.
The probe found that the militants had crossed into India from Bangladesh through North 24 Parganas and were planning attacks across multiple districts. STF sources said the accused were gathering materials and strategising to expand the JMB network in eastern India.
The Bangladeshi citizenship of the two accused—Anwar Hossain and Jabirul—was confirmed during the investigation. As a result, the court also framed additional charges against them under the Foreigners Act.
Over the course of the trial, testimonies from 15 witnesses were recorded. After examining all the evidence and statements, the court convicted all five men of sedition, criminal conspiracy, and activities threatening national security. Along with life imprisonment, each convict has been fined Rs 20,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three months of imprisonment.
“In its verdict, the court observed the grave threat posed by the organised Jihadist module, emphasising that the actions of the accused were aimed at destabilising national security, said a lawyer involved in the case.
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