Pak-linked LeT recruitment and radicalisation case in West Bengal: NIA special court in Kolkata sentences Syed M Idris to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment; read what judgment says

On 21st January, a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sentenced Syed M Idris to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Idris pleaded guilty to his role in a Pakistan-linked conspiracy involving the recruitment and radicalisation of Muslim youths in West Bengal for the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 70,000. The sentence was pronounced by Chief Judge Sukumar Ray. OpIndia accessed court documents related to sentencing.

After 10 years, he’ll come out with hero status in his community.

— NorthCrown (@NorthCrown24) January 22, 2026

On 20th January, the court formally accepted Idris’s voluntary plea of guilt in the long-running terror conspiracy case registered by the NIA as RC-20/2020/NIA/DLI. While Idris has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, further hearings in the case are underway against accused Tania Parveen and two Pakistan-based accused.

Court delivered sentence after guilty plea

Though the trial in the matter had already commenced, Idris expressed his desire to plead guilty before the court on 20th January. After informing him about the consequences of his guilty plea, the court found that the plea was made voluntarily, unambiguously, and with full awareness of its legal aspects.

The court then heard submissions from both the prosecution and the defence. It noted that the gravity of the offences, which included terrorism-related activities and conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India, demanded a rigorous sentence. The court observed that the accused had expressed repentance. However, deterrence and correction remained central to sentencing in such cases, the court said.

Case background and FIR details

The case against Idris stemmed from an FIR registered at Baduria Police Station in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on 18th March 2020. The West Bengal Police had received specific intelligence inputs regarding online radicalisation activities linked to LeT operatives.

The FIR was registered under Sections 121A, 124A, 120B, 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 66F of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

As the case was related to cross-border terror activities, on 3rd April 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the NIA to take over the probe. Accordingly, the NIA re-registered the case on 5th April 2020 as RC-20/2020/NIA/DLI.

Nature of the LeT conspiracy unearthed by investigators

Investigation into the matter revealed the existence of a covert LeT recruitment and radicalisation module operating in West Bengal. The module comprised around 20 to 25 individuals. It was working under the ideological and operational guidance of Pakistan-based handlers. Their objective was to carry out activities prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India.

The conspiracy involved systematic use of social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications to propagate extremist ideology, glorify jihad, and identify impressionable youths for recruitment. According to the prosecution, the module sought to exploit communal fault lines, disseminate secessionist propaganda, and prepare the group for further terror activities in the country.

Role attributed to the convicted accused

According to the investigating agency, Idris, a resident of Uttara Kannada in Karnataka, was not a peripheral participant but an active cadre of LeT who had been involved in the larger conspiracy since at least 2014 or earlier.

The court noted that Idris had actively abetted, advised, and incited individuals across India and abroad through cyberspace to further the unlawful activities of LeT. He was found to have participated in online propaganda, coordination, and recruitment efforts aimed at waging war against the Government of India.

The prosecution case established that Idris had conspired to overawe the Central and State Governments by criminal force and had attempted to mobilise support for terrorist objectives through digital means. These acts exposed him to prosecution under Sections 121A, 122 and 120B of the IPC, as well as Sections 13, 20, 38 and 39 of the UAPA.

Links to other accused and Pakistan-based handlers

Investigators found that Idris acted in concert with Tania Parveen, who was identified as the principal conspirator in the West Bengal module. He was also in contact with Altaf Ahmed Rather of Jammu and Kashmir. Tania Parveen was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police during a search operation at Baduria in March 2020, during which jihadi literature and other incriminating materials were seized.

The investigation further revealed that Tania Parveen was a college student and had been radicalised online by Pakistan-based LeT operatives. She became part of numerous extremist social media groups propagating terrorist ideology. She played a central role in recruiting local youths and maintaining contact with handlers across the border.

The NIA also identified two Pakistan-based absconders, Ayesha alias Ayesha Burhan alias Ayesha Siddiqi alias Syed Ayesha, and Bilal alias Bilal Durani, as part of the wider conspiracy.

Guilty plea and court’s ruling

During the course of the trial, Idris informed the court on 20th January that he wished to plead guilty. The court engaged in a detailed interaction with the accused and informed him of the consequences of such a plea. After recording that the plea was clear, unambiguous, and informed, the court accepted it, referring to Supreme Court precedents to underline that a guilty plea can be accepted even after the framing of charges, provided adequate judicial caution is exercised.

Sentencing hearing and submissions

On 21st January, during sentencing, Idris informed the court about his dependent family, including his wife, child, and ailing parents. He pleaded for leniency on the grounds of repentance. He further claimed that he wanted to return to mainstream society. Notably, when Idris was arrested from Uttara Kannada, he was 28 years old and living with his brother.

While acknowledging his expression of remorse, the prosecution pressed for maximum punishment, as the matter was related to terrorist activities and their long-term impact on national security. The court considered both Idris’s and the prosecution’s positions and concluded that probation or undue leniency would not be appropriate in a case involving conspiracy to wage war against India and support a banned terrorist organisation.

Detailed sentence awarded by the court

The court sentenced Syed M Idris to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 under Sections 121A, 122 and 120B of the IPC. Furthermore, he has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 under Sections 13, 20, 38 and 39 of the UAPA.

All sentences will run concurrently. The period already spent in custody during investigation and trial will be set off against the sentence as per law.

Status of trial against remaining accused

Though Idris has been convicted and sentenced based on his guilty plea, the trial in the matter will continue against Tania Parveen and Altaf Ahmed Rather. Both accused are currently in judicial custody. Furthermore, the NIA has secured Red and Blue Corner Notices against Pakistan-based absconders, namely Ayesha and Bilal.