New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) A key conspirator of Islamic State terror outfit has been sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment by a special NIA court in Bengaluru for involvement in radicalising vulnerable youth and spreading violent terrorist ideology.
Arafath Ali, a resident of Shivamogga, Karnataka, had fled the country in January 2020 to evade arrest. He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, in September 2023.
Identified as an active member of the banned Islamic State (ISIS), Arafath was involved in the criminal conspiracy to propagate the violent terrorist ideology of the banned terror organisation on India soil, according to a statement issued by the NIA on Tuesday.
He was engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable youth into Shivamogga ISIS terror module, NIA investigations had revealed.
It was found during investigation that the accused had been involved in instigating and motivating other accused to inscribe inflammatory graffiti in Mangaluru city in support of ISIS and other terror organisations including the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the statement said.
The conspiracy was aimed at inciting enmity and disharmony among people of different religions and spreading violent unrest in the society, it said.
The special NIA court found Arafath guilty and sentenced him to six years of rigorous imprisonment (RI).
The court had, in November 2025, sentenced two other accused to six years of RI in the case.
NIA further found in its probe in the case, which was originally registered in September 2022 by the Karnataka Police, that Arafath was in touch with an online ISIS handler.
He also worked as a funding channel for the Shivamogga terror module by receiving terror funds through crypto currency and disbursing the same among his co-accused, the statement said.
Two persons were arrested originally by Karnataka Police in the case, followed by the arrest of 10 others by NIA after it took over the investigation.
NIA had subsequently filed charges against all 12 accused. While three have now been convicted and sentenced, trial against the remaining nine accused is continuing. PTI AKV KVK KVK
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