Guwahati, Dec 31: A special court in Guwahati on December 30 sentenced Md Kamruj Zaman, the prime accused in a Hizbul Mujahideen-related conspiracy case in Assam, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of planning terrorist activities intended to spread fear among the public. The judgment was delivered in a case prosecuted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Zaman, also known by the aliases Dr Hurairah and Kamaruddin, was handed three separate sentences of simple imprisonment, with life imprisonment being the most severe. The court ordered that all sentences would run concurrently. He was convicted under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, which deals with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. In addition, he received two five-year sentences under Section 18B of the UAPA read with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and under Section 38 of the UAPA for association with a banned terrorist organisation.
The court also imposed fines of ₹5,000 on each count, with an additional three months of imprisonment stipulated in the event of non-payment. The case stemmed from a 2017–18 plot in the Jamunamukh area of Hojai district, where Zaman attempted to establish a local unit of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Investigators said the conspiracy aimed to radicalise and recruit local youths and lay the groundwork for terrorist activities in Assam.
According to the NIA, Zaman successfully roped in several individuals, including Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam and Omar Faruk, as part of the planned module. The agency filed its chargesheet in March 2019 against five accused. Alom, Alam and Faruk were earlier convicted after admitting guilt, while another accused, Jaynal Uddin, died due to illness during the course of the trial.
The verdict brings to a close the case registered as RC-08/2018/NIA-GUW, which authorities have described as a significant attempt to extend militant networks into Assam and destabilise the region.
