GUWAHATI, Aug 28 - A Kolkata NIA court today convicted 19 persons, including four Bangladeshi nationals and three from Assam in the Burdwan blast case which unraveled a conspiracy by Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh to radicalize, recruit and provide training in arms and explosives to its members in India as well as to commit terrorist acts and wage war against the democratically established Governments of India and Bangladesh.
Three of the convicts hail from Barpeta district in Assam � Shaikhul Islam Khan (Kahikuchi), Sahanoor Alom (Sarthebari) and Sahidul Islam (Bohuri Tarabari).
On October 2, 2014, a powerful IED blast had taken place at the first floor of the rented house in the busy Khagragarh locality of Burdwan district of West Bengal. The IED had accidentally gone off at the time of its making by the members of banned JMB.
The rented house was occupied by the members of JMB, ostensibly for Burkha stitching though in reality it was being used for nefarious activity of bomb making. Two accused persons had succumbed to their injuries caused due to bomb blast and one accused survived with grievous injuries. The case was initially registered by West Bengal Police, which was subsequently taken over by NIA. Investigation by NIA revealed the conspiracy by JMB and a large number of IEDs, explosives, hand grenades, training videos were recovered during the investigation of the case.
Presently, 30 arrested charge sheeted accused persons are in judicial custody of the Special Court for NIA cases at Kolkata. Trial against rest of the accused will continue, an NIA official said.
The quantum of sentence for the 19 convicts will be pronounced on August 30 by the Special NIA Court, Kolkata.
