NIA Special Court Sentences Key Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Accused to Life Imprisonment in Assam Terror Case

NEW DELHI – In a major victory for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a Special Court in Guwahati, Assam, has convicted and sentenced a primary operative of the proscribed terror organization Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM).

The accused, identified as Md. Kamruj Zaman, also known by aliases Dr. Hurairah and Kamaruddin, was awarded life imprisonment for his lead role in a 2017-18 conspiracy to establish a terror module within Assam.

The NIA’s investigation revealed that Zaman’s objective was to carry out large-scale terrorist activities to incite fear among the public, specifically focusing on the Jamunamukh and Hojai regions of the state.

The Special Court handed down three separate sentences to be served concurrently, the most severe being life imprisonment under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Additionally, Zaman received five-year sentences under Section 18B of the UA(P) Act (read with Section 120B of the IPC) and Section 38 of the UA(P) Act. The court also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 for each of the three counts, with additional imprisonment mandated in case of default.

The case, originally registered as RC 08/2018/NIA-GUW, successfully dismantled a network that had recruited several local individuals, including Sahnawaz Alom, Saidul Alam, and Omar Faruk, who had previously pleaded guilty and were convicted earlier in the trial.