The Special Court of the National Investigation Agency in Bengaluru has sentenced a key accused in a terror radicalisation and recruitment case linked to the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Taliban outfits to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

The court also imposed a fine of ₹63,000 on Maharashtra resident Hamraz Worshid Shaikh, who pleaded guilty during the trial that commenced in April 2026.

According to the NIA, the case, registered in April 2023, pertains to radicalisation and recruitment activities carried out in support of Taliban and TTP ideology. In October 2023, the agency had chargesheeted Hamraz along with another accused, Mohammad Arif, whose trial is still underway.

Investigations revealed that Hamraz was allegedly radicalised through Pakistani and Afghan contacts during his stay in Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2022. The probe also identified an online handler known as “Hanzala”, who allegedly used an Instagram account titled “Kashmir Pages” to radicalise individuals online.

The NIA further stated that after returning to India, Hamraz allegedly conspired with co-accused Arif to identify and recruit vulnerable youth by propagating extremist ideology associated with Taliban and TTP. The accused were also alleged to have formed a terror gang with the intention of joining TTP in Afghanistan to wage jihad and war against India.