New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Saquib Nachan, a convicted terrorist linked to the Islamic State (ISIS), died at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on Saturday while undergoing treatment for health issues, according to Tihar Jail officials.

Nachan had been lodged in Tihar Jail Number 1 since December 27, 2023 and was shifted to the hospital due to deteriorating health.

On June 22, he was referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital due to health issues and later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on June 25. Around 4 pm, Tihar administration was informed that Nachan had died at 11.30 am on Saturday.

Saquib was convicted for his involvement in the 2002 and 2003 Mumbai bomb blasts and was also a self-styled Amir-e-Hind for ISIS in India.

In June 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted him along with 16 other hardcore ISIS agents for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to recruit and radicalise youth, fabricate explosives, and spread ISIS ideology in India and the fabrication of improvised explosive devices in the Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module case.

The accused were chargesheeted under various sections of IPC, UA(P) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act, were found to have been engaged in a massive ISISI conspiracy involving recruitment, training and propagation of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ideology among gullible youth, along with fabrication of explosives and IEDs and fund-raising for the banned outfit.

Its investigation had subsequently led to the seizure of several incriminating documents and data relating to the manufacturing of explosives and the fabrication of IEDs, along with propaganda magazines like 'Voice of Hind', 'Rumiyah', 'Khilafat', 'Dabiq', published by IS.

The agency had further found during investigations that the accused had been sharing digital files related to IED fabrication with their contacts. They were also found to be actively raising funds to further their terror plans as part of the ISIS agenda to spread violence in India and destroy its secular ethos and democratic systems.

The accused had carried out several acts preparatory to unleashing terrorist attacks, including the recruitment of vulnerable youth into the organisation. (ANI)