In the ISIS terror module case, the apprehended suspect, Kashif Bellare, a close confidant of co-accused Saquib Nachan, was highly radicalised. According to sources, Kashif Bellare served as Saqib Nachan's personal assistant, overseeing his business transactions. Nachan paid him a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 for the work. Bellare has been associated with Nachan since 2002 and this association continued till the arrest of both in the ISIS terror module case in 2023.
Terror-related operations
Beyond looking after Nachan's financial matters, Bellare was intricately linked to Nachan's terror-related operations, as revealed during the ongoing interrogation. In the investigation into the ISIS terror module and Nachan's involvement, Bellare asserted that those on the path of jihad for their religion need not fear being captured by any law enforcement agencies. In the interrogation, he stated that when Saquib Nachan's son, Shamil, became entangled in the ISIS Maharashtra module case, Saquib decided that his son shouldn't escape or hide, despite knowing that the lives of his son and family would be destroyed.
According to Bellare's statement, Nachan believed that being chosen as a soldier for jihad by Rasool and wanted to stay true to the cause, believing that attempting to evade the anti-terror agencies was tantamount to disobedience to divine orders. According to Nachan's perspective, the NIA arrested Shamil because he chose not to escape. If he had fled, tracking and apprehending him over the years would have been impossible for the agency, he believed.
Radicalisation
During the interrogation, it was revealed that Bellare was fully radicalised by extremist religious ideas . He asserted that anyone who criticises or speaks against their prophet deserves death and will go to hell. According to Bellare, the person who kills such an individual will be considered a soldier of the Prophet and will receive Jannat.
According to sources, during the investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) learned that on the instructions of Saquib, Bellare visited Kerala multiple times. However, during the interrogation, Bellare skillfully evaded responses and remained tight-lipped about the purpose and nature of these visits to Kerala and other states.
NIA sources reveal that during the investigation, it became apparent that, along with Saquib Nachan, Bellare was actively involved in the indoctrination of youth. In 2022, Saquib Nachan declared Padgha, a village near Thane, as Al-Sham land (the holy Land of Syria), and in collaboration with Bellare, engaged young people aged 18 to 30 years for terror-related jobs in Padgha. They conducted several "Dars" (meetings or lectures) in isolated parts of Padgha, ostensibly for religious preaching. However, the true aim was to further radicalize individuals, with Nachan and Bellare providing lectures on ideologies related to Jihad, Khilafat, and more. These gatherings served as a guise for recruiting more members to support the nefarious activities of ISIS.
Planning to commit terrorist acts to show support to ISIS
During the investigation, it was revealed that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused planned to commit terrorist acts in India to show support for ISIS. It is alleged that Bellare, the main accomplice of Nachan, organised all the oath ceremonies (baith) for ISIS programs and was also involved in arranging "Dars."
Investigators in the case said that he was in contact with radicalized youth who are linked with the ISIS terror module, but has not been cooperating during the interrogation. He is apparently misleading the investigators, exerting pressure on them by crafting a narrative of atrocities in the name of religion.
Due to his allegedly misleading replies, the agency is awaiting data retrieval from the phone and other digital devices recovered from him at the Forensic Science Laboratories.
