NIA Court Rejects Bail for US Company Executive Accused in ISIS-Linked Conspiracy
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai has denied bail to a 29-year-old senior programmatic executive working for a US-based company, who stands accused of being a central figure in a conspiracy connected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The court emphasized that no innocent or peace-loving citizen would possess and disseminate radical literature, as alleged in this case.
Allegations of Radicalization and Bomb-Making Procurement
Seemab Kazi is alleged by the NIA to have exploited his professional position as a cover to facilitate the acquisition of materials for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and to radicalize young individuals. While his defense lawyer argued that the literature seized from his residence consisted of common religious material, Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar found the content to be extremist in nature, designed to propagate radical ideology.
"If the accused Seemab claims himself to be innocent and a peace-loving citizen, he should not have possessed and spread such hate literature, extremely radical in nature. The nature of that literature is not purely religious, as claimed by him and on his behalf," Judge Baviskar stated. He further noted that witness statements indicated the accused was spreading radical ideology among impressionable Muslim youths.
Details of the Conspiracy and Evidence Presented
The prosecution argued that Seemab was not merely an associate but a "main conspirator" who had taken an oath of loyalty, or 'Bayth', to the Khalifa on multiple occasions in Pune. His arrest in July 2023 followed revelations from two co-accused, Mohammed Imran and Mohammed Unis, who were apprehended earlier.
According to the agency, acting on instructions from co-accused Zulfikar Barodawala, Seemab purchased specific laboratory equipment, including thermometers, pipette pipes, and pipette bulbs, which were later utilized in bomb preparation. Investigators also alleged that he used encrypted communication platforms such as Signal and Threema through virtual private networks (VPNs) to maintain contact with other module members while concealing his identity.
Court's Skepticism and Legal Grounds for Bail Denial
The judge expressed doubt regarding the defense's claim that the laboratory items were bought for an online perfume business. Given Seemab's role as a high-level corporate executive, the repeated purchase of such specific equipment was deemed highly suspicious.
"It is surprising that why the Senior Programmatic Executive purchased all such muddemal (material evidence) articles for multiple times, which are not at all even remotely concerned with the nature of his work," the judge remarked.
Ultimately, the court held that the stringent conditions for bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had not been satisfied. "After considering the material discussed up till now in totality, I am of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the accused appears to be prima facie true," Judge Baviskar concluded, reinforcing the decision to deny bail.
