Mumbai, April 2, 2025: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has denied bail to Zubair Noor Mohammad Shaikh, an accused in the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case, citing evidence that he and other co-accused engaged in activities threatening India’s integrity, security, and sovereignty.
Special court judge B.D. Shelke, in his order on March 29, stated that communication among the accused revealed attempts to provoke Muslim youths to join ISIS and adopt its ideology. The detailed order was made public on Tuesday.
The court observed that there was sufficient material on record to establish Shaikh’s complicity in the case. “The evidence prima facie shows that he and other co-accused had hatched a conspiracy and were involved in activities that endangered national security,” the judge stated.
Shaikh, along with five others, has been chargesheeted under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. They are accused of spreading ISIS’s extremist ideology, recruiting individuals, and preparing for terrorist activities.
Defense lawyer Hasnain Kazi argued that the case against Shaikh was based on WhatsApp chats and emails, contending that there was no concrete evidence linking him to acts of terrorism. However, Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves, representing the NIA, countered that Shaikh actively shared ISIS-related content, including violent jihadist messages and videos, in WhatsApp groups.
The court cited a 60-page record of seized communications that contained anti-national messages and objectionable content, allegedly used to incite others to follow ISIS’s ideology. Based on this evidence, the court refused to grant bail to Shaikh, emphasizing the gravity of the charges.
