ISIS case accused claims suspected Army personnel offered trial 'wipe out'; court seeks NIA reply
Mumbai (PTI): An ISIS link case accused has claimed two persons posing as Army officers approached him and offered to "wipe out" his trial if he joined a covert operation, prompting a court here to seek responses from the NIA and police.
Areeb Majeed, arrested in 2014 under the anti-terror law and facing trial, filed an application before the court stating that he doesn't seek any extrajudicial favours and settlements, but wishes his case to be decided strictly on legal merits.
Taking cognisance of his plea, the court on Wednesday said this is a "serious incident involving suspected impersonation, attempted inducement, subsequent pressure, and interference with the fair administration of justice."
Special NIA Court Judge Chakor Baviskar issued a notice to the Bazar Peth police (at Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district) and the National Investigation Agency, seeking their reply to the complaint raised by Majeed.
The matter has been adjourned to March 4.
According to the application filed by Majeed, who was granted bail by the high court in 2021, the events unfolded on February 21, 2026.
It stated that Majeed was at his college when his wife informed him that an unidentified man and woman had arrived at his residence in Kalyan, insisting on waiting inside for his return.
The woman, claiming to be from the Indian Army, told Majeed over the phone that she was accompanied by a senior Colonel-rank officer from New Delhi.
She allegedly told Majeed they needed his "help" in a covert operation and, in return, would "wipe out the case pending against" him, the plea said.
Suspecting an attempt to prejudice his trial or engineer communications that could implicate him further, Majeed refused them entry.
He then dialled the 112 emergency helpline number and alerted the NIA control room.
The two individuals were subsequently taken to the Bazar Peth police station for questioning.
The NIA's case was that Majeed had travelled to Syria to allegedly join the terrorist group ISIS and returned to India to carry out terror activities.
He was arrested in November 2014 under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code for waging war against the nation and other charges.
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‘Self-styled Vishwaguru stands exposed’: Cong's dig at PM over Pak role in US-Iran ceasefire
New Delhi (PTI): Taking a swipe at the government, the Congress on Wednesday said the role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire between the US and Iran is a “severe setback” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “highly personalised diplomacy” and “the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed”.
The opposition party also said Prime Minister Modi's “cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the entire world will cautiously welcome the two-week ceasefire in the West Asia conflict between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other.
“The conflict had begun on February 28th with the targeted assassinations of the topmost echelons of the regime in Iran. These had started just two days after Prime Minister Modi had completed his much-trumpeted visit to Israel, a visit that diminished India’s global stature and standing,” Ramesh claimed.
PM Modi had said nothing about Israel’s "genocide" in Gaza and its aggressively expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank, Ramesh said.
“The role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire is a severe setback to both the substance and style of Mr Modi’s highly personalised diplomacy,” he said.
The policy to isolate Pakistan for its continuing support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and to convince the world that it is a failed state has clearly not succeeded – unlike what Manmohan Singh had accomplished after the Mumbai terror attacks, Ramesh claimed.
That a bankrupt economy dependent entirely on the largesse of external donors and a broken country in so many ways was able to play such a role calls into question Modi’s strategy of engagement and narrative management, he said.
“He (Modi) or his team has also never explained why Op Sindoor was suddenly and abruptly halted on May 10th 2025 - the first announcement of which came from the US Secretary of State and for which the US President has claimed credit almost a hundred times since then,” the Congress leader said.
“There is a palpable sigh of relief everywhere. The External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) dismissed Pakistan as a dalal. But now the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed, his self-declared 56-inch chest shrunk and shrivelled,” Ramesh said.
“His cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House,” the Congress leader added.
US President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, as the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump swerved to de-escalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate to a deal or face attacks on its bridges and power plants meant to destroy the Iranian civilisation.
Trump made the dramatic announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday evening (US time) even as Democrats called for his removal over unhinged threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation.
"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," the US President said in a social media post.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the United States in Pakistan beginning Friday. Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region early Wednesday.
Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran but the deal doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday.
