ISIS Suspects Planned Attacks on Jewish Community in Mumbai: Claims Gujarat ATS Chargesheet

The two accused was held on charges of planning an attack on a Jewish synagogue in Khadia area in Ahmedabad.

New Delhi, April 21: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad has claimed in its chargesheet that two arrested suspected ISIS operatives had planned attacks on the Jewish community in Mumbai. The two accused identified as Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza, was held on charges of planning an attack on a Jewish synagogue in Khadia area in Ahmedabad.

The Gujarat ATS filed 1,500-page chargesheet in Ankleshwar town of Bharuch district. The chargesheet claimed that the two accused wanted to attack Jewish community in Mumbai because more Jews lived there. The chargesheet was filed in Ankleshwar as one of the suspects, Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala, was held from there in October last year, reported a news agency PTI.

Accused Stimberwala used to work as a laboratory technician at a hospital in Ankleshwar and Mirza was a lawyer practicing in the Surat district court. Abdullah el-Faisal, a radical preacher based in Jamaica, and suspected ISIS handler Shafi Armar were shown as absconding in the chargesheet.

The chargesheet further claimed that the arrested accused were in constant touch with Abdullah el-Faisal and Shafi Armar and were making plans to attacks Jews in India. They also prepared a list of targets and were also planning to send youths outside India to carry out terrorist activities. Stimberwala and Mirza also tried to purchase weapons through their contacts in Delhi and Lucknow but they failed.

The accused were arrested under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (sedition) and 125 (waging war against any Asiatic power in alliance with India) of IPC. They were also booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

(With agency inputs)