A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) awarded a death sentence to two individuals Atif Muzzafar and Mohammed Faisal who murdered a retired school principal Ramesh Babu Shukla (60) in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh in 2016 and imposed a fine of five lakh rupees on each of them. The amount would be handed over to the family members of the victim.
Former Indian Police Services (IPS) officer Asim Arun and Minister in the UP cabinet lauded the state government and praised the judgement. He wrote, “In March 2017, when I was in command of UP (Police) ATS, terrorist Saifullah was killed in an encounter in Thakurganj, Lucknow. The hearing took place in the NIA Special Court, in which I gave statements several times even after leaving the police service.”
The Bharatiya Janta Party MLA from Kannauj Sadar added, “As a result of effective evidence and investigation, the NIA Special Court sentenced terrorist Saifullah’s associates Muzaffar and Faisal to death. The decision of the NIA Special Court is welcome.”
योगी सरकार का प्रहार, आतंकवाद की हार
— Asim Arun (@asim_arun) September 15, 2023
मार्च 2017 में जब @Uppolice ATS की कमान मेरे पास थी तब ठाकुरगंज, लखनऊ में आतंकी सैफ़ुल्लाह को मुठभेड़ में मार गिराया गया था।
NIA स्पेशल कोर्ट में सुनवाई चली, जिसमें मैंने पुलिस सेवा छोड़ने के बाद भी कई बार बयान दिए।
प्रभावी साक्ष्य और… pic.twitter.com/lDHSL5t8CF
The pair were found guilty of being inspired by the terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) during the hearing. The court remarked that they committed the crime in order to spread their radical ideas and instil fear in the populace.
The two were adjudged culpable by the court on charges of violating sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code along with sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention (UAPA) Act. Dinesh Kumar Mishra, a special judge for the NIA Court, issued the verdict.
The court observed, “The murder of Ramesh Babu Shukla did not fall in the ordinary category because his death was committed by the accused to show commitment to the banned terror group ISIS and the murder was committed after ensuring that Shukla belonged to a non-Muslim religion.”
It further added, “The convicts had no enmity with the deceased nor the deceased had made any objectionable comments against Muslims. The motive of committing this murder was to spread the Shariat (Islamic law) and cause terror among non-Muslims.”
Ramesh Babu Shukla, a retired principal, was shot and killed by the perpetrators in October 2016 while he was coming from work, per NIA attorney Kaushal Kishore Sharma. He mentioned that the probe was initially launched by the Kanpur Police, however in 2017, it was handed off to the counterterrorism agency.
The victim was assassinated after being recognised as a ‘Hindu’ by his ‘kalawa’ (a sacred thread that Hindus wear on their wrists) and ’tilak’ (an auspicious mark that Hindus put on their foreheads), based on the NIA probe. They also attempted to commit acts of terrorism in India but were unsuccessful.
They later killed Ramesh Babu Shukla to further their radical ideas. The pair admitted that they desired to join ISIS in Syria during questioning. The lawyer noted that the conviction of the two was made possible by the testimony of 14 Muslim men. The witnesses used to attend religious gatherings where the culprits would discuss ‘Jihad.’
One of them was an Information Technology (IT) employee who was apprehended alongside the offenders but later cooperated with authorities and turned into a witness.
Ram Babu Shukla, a Vishnapuri resident and a retired principal of Kanpur’s Swami Atmaprakash Brahmchari Junior High School was murdered on 24 October 2016 as he rode his bicycle home. The accused attacked him in Kanpur close to the village of Pyondi. The police initially started looking into the matter as a straightforward murder investigation and filed a case against anonymous people.
Atif Muzaffar and Mohammad Faisal Khan were found culpable on 5 September by a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Lucknow. The two were held accountable for the murder of Ramesh Babu Shukla as well as for advancing the objectives of the terrorist group ISIS.
The anti-terror agency had initially submitted a charge sheet against the two suspects on 12 July 2018 following thorough inquiries that showed they had been radicalised by the ISIS ideology and were on the hunt for those they perceived to be infidels.
Atif Muzzafar and Mohammed Faisal were initially caught by the NIA in relation to the 7 March 2017 explosion on the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train which resulted in the injury of 10 persons. This case was probed by the NIA. The breakthrough in the ISIS-backed criminal conspiracy case came when the main accused Mohammad Faisal Khan was captured for his involvement in the Madhya Pradesh train explosion.
He produced disclosures that eventually led to the arrest of Atif Muzaffar and his other associates. Afterwards, the fanatic admitted that he, Atif Muzzafar and others were responsible for the murder of the old man after they established that he was Hindu.
Mohammad Saifulla, a third suspect lost his life after a gunbattle with the Anti-Terrorist Squad in Lucknow on the day of the incident. His home yielded eight firearms and a number of cartridges. The inquiry into the matter was done by the NIA.
Atif, Faisal, and five other defendants in a 2017 terror conspiracy case were handed down death sentences by the NIA court in March of this year. Another accused Mohammad Atif received a life sentence in the matter.
A forensic examination discovered that the gun used to release the bullet found in the body of the Hindu principal was one that was retrieved from the residence. The NIA submitted a charge sheet against the duo in the special court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
