Thane, June 30 (PTI): Saquib Nachan, a former leader of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and an accused in the Pune ISIS module case, was laid to rest in his home village in Bhiwandi taluka of Thane district on Monday amid tight security.
Nachan (67) passed away in a Delhi hospital on Saturday while being treated for a brain hemorrhage. In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches in Padgha as part of a nationwide crackdown on the terror outfit ISIS, resulting in several arrests, including that of Nachan. He was held in Tihar prison before being hospitalized, according to officials.
Prior to his burial on Monday, his family members performed "Janaze Namaz." He was laid to rest beside his mother's grave in the village graveyard of Padgha-Borivali, with approximately 2,000 mourners, including his relatives, attending the last rites, a Padgha taluka official reported.
Nachan’s son Shamil, currently incarcerated in Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai, was granted permission by the special NIA court to attend his father’s funeral.
An official noted that around 500 policemen were deployed in the village to prevent any untoward incidents, with senior police officers closely monitoring the situation.
Upon Nachan's arrest in 2023, the NIA alleged that he was actively involved in promoting the terrorist activities of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The investigation agency also claimed that he was involved in the fabrication, training, and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for terrorist acts.
Nachan had reportedly collaborated with other accused individuals as part of the conspiracy known as the Pune ISIS module case, according to the federal agency.
Nachan had previously been convicted in 2016 for his role in bomb blasts in Mumbai during 2002-03. After serving 10 years in prison, he was released, as noted by an official.
In 2023, Nachan was arrested by the NIA along with several others for alleged involvement in terrorist activities, including the creation of improvised explosive devices aimed at advancing the terror agenda of the outlawed group ISIS.
According to the NIA, Nachan was the primary accused and self-proclaimed leader of the arrested group, assuming the right to administer the 'Bayath,' or oath of allegiance, to the self-styled 'Khalifa' of ISIS for those joining the banned organization.
Investigative agencies alleged that the accused had declared the village a “liberated zone” and a center for their anti-national activities.
In early June, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted a large-scale search operation at 22 locations in Borivali and Padgha, detaining several suspects, including Nachan’s relatives, who were later released after questioning, the official reported.
An ATS statement issued at the time mentioned that the searches were part of measures following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir to apprehend anti-national elements who could provide logistical support for terror-related activities.
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