The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India has conducted searches across six locations spread across five districts in Tamil Nadu in connection with a 2018 criminal conspiracy that intended to spread terror in the State by targeting Hindu religious leaders and causing communal disharmony.

The early morning searches were carried out at two locations in Coimbatore City, besides one location each in Sivaganga, Tiruchirapalli, Nagapattinam, and Toothukudi districts.

According to a statement by the NIA, the case pertains to the criminal conspiracy hatched by 6 charge-sheeted accused persons and their associates, with the intention of furthering the objectives of ISIS/ Daish by targeting certain Hindu activists in Coimbatore.

The statement read, “Accused persons arrested by Tamil Nadu Police in this case in September 2018 and charge-sheeted by NIA in February 2019 had conducted preparations, including reconnaissance of targets, for launching such attacks, which would have caused communal disharmony and terror in the State. The investigation has revealed that the charge-sheeted accused persons and their associates were radicalized on the violent extremist ideology of ISIS/ Daish by following the speeches and videos of the Sri Lankan IS/ Daesh leader Zahran Hashim, over social media platforms”.

Today’s searches were conducted at the residences of the associates of individuals who were charge-sheeted earlier.

The agency seized two laptops, eight mobile phones, five SIM cards, an SD card and 14 documents, which would be subjected to forensic examination. The persons searched are being questioned to ascertain their association with the charge-sheeted accused persons besides any role in this crime.

Source: DNA India