20 July,2017 08:53 PM IST | Mumbai | Sailee Dhayalkar
He had been arrested after he was found chatting online about attacking US establishments and the American School in BKC
Anees Ansari
The special ATS prosecutor on Wednesday submitted draft charges before the sessions court against Anees Ansari, the Kurla resident who was arrested by the state ATS in October 2015, after he was allegedly found chatting online about attacking US establishments and a school in Bandra.
What the draft charges say
Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Dalvi, who submitted the draft charges, is likely to argue on August 1. The draft charges state, "Ansari, during the period from August 2, 2011, to October 18, 2014, created a fake account on Facebook and began chatting with other users at random, as well as downloading incriminating data by misusing the computers and Internet connection at his office, without taking appropriate permission from the officer who was in charge of the premises."
The draft, explaining the Information Technology Act, adds, "Ansari was warned on several occasions by his superior officers. He is thereby charged with an offence under section 43(a) (compensation for failure to protect data) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Conspiracy theory
Ansari was further charged on the basis that during the period from October 13 to 18, 2014, he was constantly in touch with a person by the name Omar Elhaj, to whom he sent messages on IS's ideology. Ansari was also conspiring to carry out terror acts and induce others to join him in spreading terror, as propagated by the IS, with the intent to "threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or to strike terror in the hearts of people".
Ansari was inducing Elhaj to hatch a conspiracy and procure information about making a thermite bomb, and had shared information with him on how to commit a lone wolf bomb attack at the American School in Bandra-Kurla Complex, with the intent of "causing death of children of foreign nationals and with mala fide intentions of causing terror". For the above offences, the prosecution said he should be charged under section 66F (cyber terrorism) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with 120-B (conspiracy) of IPC.
Ansari was also charged under section 115 (abetment of offence) read with 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC.
2015 The year in which Anees Ansari was arrested
