ISIS-linked terror convict Saquib Nachan dies in Delhi hospital

Ex-SIMI Leader Dies: Saquib Nachan Passes Away After Brain Haemorrhage in Delhi

Terror convict and alleged head of the Maharashtra ISIS module, Saquib Nachan, died at a Delhi hospital on Saturday, days after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He had been held in Tihar Jail since 2023 and was admitted to the hospital a few days before his death.

Nachan, who was previously convicted for his involvement in the 2002 and 2003 Mumbai bomb blasts, was described by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as a habitual offender implicated in multiple terror-related cases.

The agency identified him as a self-styled "Amir-e-Hind" for ISIS in India, according to ANI.

In June 2024, the NIA filed a chargesheet against Nachan and 16 other alleged ISIS operatives in connection with the Delhi–Padgha ISIS terror module case.

This group was accused of conspiring to recruit and radicalise youth, fabricate improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and propagate ISIS ideology throughout the country.

The charges were filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.

The NIA investigation resulted in the recovery of incriminating materials, including digital documents related to IED-making and ISIS propaganda magazines such as Voice of Hind, Rumiyah, Khilafat, and Dabiq.

The accused were also found to be circulating content related to explosives, raising funds for ISIS operations, and attempting to undermine India’s secular and democratic framework through planned acts of terror, the agency stated.