On Monday, Special Judge Vikas Dhull of the NIA Special Court in New Delhi imposed six‑year rigorous imprisonment on four ISIS operatives—Umar Nisar alias Qasim Khurasani, Rameez Ahmad Lone, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, and Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi—after they pleaded guilty following five years of custody.
The judge applied sections 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 19, 38, 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sections 153A, 153B of the Indian Penal Code, and, for Nisar, added section 120B read with 18 and 18A. Jarabi received a five‑year sentence under 18, 38, 39 of UAPA and related IPC provisions.
The NIA said the Voice of Hind magazine, an online platform that promoted ISIS ideology, was part of a broader conspiracy to radicalise and recruit Indian youth for jihad. The agency recovered PDFs of the magazine, propaganda posters, and audio clips of weapon‑procurement plans.
NIA officials, including Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi, noted that the network used pseudo‑online identities to disseminate content through Telegram and other channels and even facilitated travel to conflict zones. The court found the four convicts directly involved in spreading the material and in organising the movement.
With the sentencing of the first four defendants, the prosecution now prepares to try the remaining four accused, whose trial is scheduled to begin in early October, according to court schedules.
The verdict is seen by security analysts as a significant win for India's counter‑terrorism apparatus, tightening the net around the Voice of Hind campaign and curbing the influence of ISIS propaganda among Indian youth.