Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) [representational image].Reuters

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that Indian Mujahideen (IM) wanted to form an Islamic State and create a Syria-Iraq situation in India.

On Monday, NIA had filed a chargesheet before the District Judge IS Mehta, against several IM operatives, including IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal and Mirza Shahid Beg, who are all absconding. NIA has chargesheeted 33 IM members for conspiring terror activities and war against India.

In the chargesheet, they revealed the findings of their investigation that pointed towards IM's intention of waging religious war against India by establishing IS terror groups, similar to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

"A-26 (suspected IM member Mohammed Shafi Armar) stated that he desired that India should also become like Iraq and Syria (where terrorist activities were continuously going on and large scale violence was also taking place)," Hindustan Times cited a statement from NIA's supplementary chargesheet.

Based on the evidences—chat logs and emails—NIA alleged that several IM operatives also told that they wanted to travel to Syria to learn from the jihadis and even support them in their "holy war."

"During chat (e-mail), accused A-26 (absconding IM member Mohammed Shafi Armar) stated that he desired to be dispatched to Syria to work with other jihadis..." the chargesheet read.

"The accused A-25 (Abdul Khadir Sultan Armar) also wanted to take part in the violent religious war in Afghanistan. Accused A-26 (Mohammed Shafi Armar) wanted to travel to places in Afghanistan and Syria to work with the Al-Qaeda for the furtherance of conspiracy," it added.