Kerala ISIS recruitment case: Woman operative sentenced to 7 years RI, Rs 25,000 fine
KOCHI: The NIA special court in Kochi on Saturday sentenced Bihar native Yasmin Mohammad to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. She was also fined Rs 25,000 in the case related to recruiting Kerala youths for global terrorist outfit Islamic State. The time spent by her in prison so far will be reduced from her punishment. According to the prosecution, Kerala police with the help of central intelligence agency officials, arrested Yasmin from Delhi on July 30, 2016 when she was trying to leave the country along with her son.
Speaking to reporters at the court premises after hearing the verdict, Yasmin said she is an Indian and not part of the IS. Reiterating her faith in the Constitution and judicial system, Yasmin said the truth will come out soon. The verdict is the first in the case connected with the alleged recruitment of Kerala youths to the IS. The NIA took over the case which was initially investigated by the Kerala police. The court examined 52 prosecution witnesses and one witness from the side of the accused. Even though 15 persons are accused in the case, only Yasmin has been arrested so far.
Abdul Rashid Abdullah, known as Al Nooril Rashi, is the first accused. He along with 14 others disappeared from Kerala under mysterious circumstances in and around 2016 and is suspected to be in Afghanistan. Abdullah is a native of Udumbamthala near Thrikkaripur in Kasargod district. The 17 people who have disappeared from the state belonged to three families in Thrikkarippur. Yasmin was convicted under Section 120 B of IPC for which the RI is for 3 years and under Section 125 of IPC, RI for 7 years and '25,000 fine were awarded. Under Section 38, 39, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, RI for 7 years each was granted to her. However, the sentence would run concurrently. She was shifted to Viyyur Central Prison on Saturday.
The court stated that that it is evident that Yasmin and first accused Abdulla Abdul Rashid were inclined to join IS. Yasmin attended clandestine secret classes carried out by Rashid and she also collected materials on the life of women in IS. Yasmin has been accused of arranging the logistics for alleged IS recruits from Kerala to slip out from the country to join IS in Afghanistan. She was charged under various sections of waging war against the country.
The investigation officials have found out that Yasmin was having links with Abdullah and she stayed in Kasargod and Kozhikode districts. She worked as a teacher in a private school in Kerala in which Abdullah was also working and the two became acquainted during their stint there. The investigation officials perused messages on mobile phones and contents in a laptop seized from Yasmin with the help of cyber cell to frame charges against her. The mobile phones, in which the messages were found to be deleted, was recovered with help of cyber experts.
Court wants witnesses protected
The NIA Special Court in Kochi called for protection of witnesses in order to enable them to depose before it without fear. Delivering the judgment in the IS recruitment case Judge S. Santosh mentioned the courage shown by a woman jail officer who resisted threats and deposed before the court.
Citing the incident in the judgment the court stated in this particular case the woman was able to resist the threat due to her employment. An ordinary witness may not be able to resist such threats. "So it is high time to protect witness and take steps to assist witnesses to depose before the court without any coercion, threat or undue influence," the court observed.
