ISIS India Head Saquib Nachan Dies In Hospital After Brain Haemorrhage
New Delhi:
Saquib Nachan, head of the so-called Islamic State's (ISIS) India operations and former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), died in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was 57.
Nachan had been in judicial custody at Tihar Jail since 2023 following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with an alleged ISIS terror module spanning Delhi and Maharashtra's Padgha region. He was hospitalised on Tuesday after his health deteriorated in custody.
Doctors confirmed a brain haemorrhage shortly after admission. He remained under medical observation for four days before his condition worsened this morning. He was pronounced dead at 12:10 pm, according to hospital officials.
Saquib Abdul Hameed Nachan belonged to Padgha town in Maharashtra's Thane district. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he rose as a senior figure in SIMI, an organisation banned in 2001 for anti-national activities.
Nachan's name came under national spotlight during investigations into a series of bombings across Mumbai in 2002 and 2003, including the blasts at Mumbai Central, Vile Parle, and Mulund station. These attacks left at least 13 people dead and injured over a hundred.
He was eventually convicted in these cases under charges of illegal arms possession, including an AK-56 rifle. A special court operating under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He completed his term in 2017, receiving remission of over five months for good behaviour.
In 2023, he was again arrested, this time by the NIA, as part of a crackdown on ISIS terrorists and supporters across India. He was identified as the main accused in what was labelled the Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module case.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Former SIMI activist from Padgha Saqib Nachan dies in Delhi hosp
Mumbai: Sixty-three-year-old former SIMI activist Saqib Nachan, who was arrested by NIA in the ISIS Maharashtra module case, died on Saturday morning while receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. He was under treatment for six days following a brain haemorrhage. Nachan, convicted twice earlier in terror cases, was arrested in Dec 2023 for allegedly running ISIS modules in Delhi and Maharashtra's Padgha village. Following Saqib's demise, authorities deployed over 200 police personnel in and around Padgha as a security measure. After his release on completion of sentence in 2017, in 2023 he had come under the NIA's scanner once again as the agencies started their crackdown in the 'Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module' case. According to the NIA, Nachan and his associates were being instructed by foreign handlers and were involved in terrorist activities, including the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) aimed at furthering ISIS' agenda. The module declared Padgha village as a "liberated zone" to motivate vulnerable Muslim youths to relocate to the village, the investigation showed. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Nachan's body will arrive at his village on Monday for burial in the local cemetery. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Previously, several residents of the village were apprehended for terrorist activities. In 2023, NIA arrested Nachan and his son Shamil, along with some others, in the ISIS module case. In November 2017, Saqib Nachan was released from the Thane jail after completing his 10-year jail term. Nachan was released five months before the actual term. The period was given to him as remission for his good behaviour. Nachan had then surrendered in the 2002 Mumbai Central, 2003 Vile Parle and 2003 Mulund train blast cases. While 14 people were killed, over a hundred were left injured in these three blasts. All the cases were clubbed together and tried under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Termed as the mastermind by the prosecution, the court found him guilty of illegally possessing an AK-56 rifle and sentenced him to 10 years in jail in 2006. Nachan's two sons are Shamil, currently imprisoned in the ISIS module case, and Aaqib (elder son), who was recently questioned and released by NIA. Nachan's first arrest came in 1992 under the now-repealed TADA Act, in connection with Operation K2, a shadowy alleged plot backed by ISI to ignite Khalistani and Islamic insurgencies in India. He was convicted alongside Khalistani militant Lal Singh and sentenced to life, but the Supreme Court later commuted his sentence to 10 years. He walked free in 2001.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Cybercriminals using Tripura as corridor, mobile networks have become more dangerous than AK series rifles': CM Manik Saha
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha Saturday directed the police to strongly tackle the menace of cybercrime, stating that cyber criminals were trying to use the state as a corridor. While inaugurating a cybercrime police station at Arundhatinagar on the outskirts of Agartala, CM Saha said, 'Cybercrime is a matter of discussion in recent times. Many people lost everything after becoming victims of cybercrime. Cybercriminals are negatively using technology.' He added that mobile networks have become more dangerous than the AK series rifles. 'We talk about the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI), but it has negative effects too. The fraudsters can use AI against innocent people. People have to be more careful to keep themselves safe from fraudulent activities,' Saha further said. Reacting to the Opposition's allegation of breakdown in the law-and-order system in the state, the chief minister said, 'When they (Opposition) see that law and order is good here, then something opposite has to be said… People from elsewhere are coming to the state for jobs or business, as the law-and-order system is good here.' On tackling drugs, the chief minister said, 'If we speak about drugs, compared to last year, we could make 106 per cent more seizures. In the case of destruction, it is 132 per cent. The Opposition should back their claim with data. People are not fools. What happened during the Congress regime? What happened during the CPI(M) regime?' Addressing the same event, Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag said the state has witnessed a 20 per cent reduction in crime in 2024 compared to 2023.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
National Investigation Agency to take over Vizianagaram terror case probe
Vizianagaram: (NIA) will take over the probe of the alleged terror plot involving Siraj-ur-Rehman (29), a native of Vizianagaram, and Syed Sameer (28), a native of Secunderabad. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They were arrested by Vizianagaram police in May for allegedly conspiring to carry out bomb blasts in Vizianagaram and other places in Andhra Pradesh and other states using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Siraj, who has an engineering degree, was arrested for possession of explosive materials, specifically ammonium nitrate, sulphur, and aluminium powder. He claimed he bought the explosive substances through an online platform, and named Sameer during his confession. The two suspects have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, and various sections of BNS. After a local court granted their custody to police for seven days, they were interrogated by officials from the NIA, ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad), Counter Intelligence wing, and other agencies besides the police. The agencies gathered crucial information about financial support to Siraj and Sameer from foreign handlers in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The two youths reportedly confessed to having connections with some Jihadi groups. Siraj said he received bomb-making training in Saudi Arabia, while Sameer was trained in Pakistan. The anti-terror agencies also found that sleeper cell members from other parts of the country were in touch with them. Vizianagaram police chief Vakul Jindal said the case is being taken over by the NIA for further investigation.
