Overview
- The special NIA/ATS court in Lucknow on Monday handed life terms to three men for an Al‑Qaeda‑linked plot to attack sites in Uttar Pradesh.
- The convicts are Minhaj Ahmad, Musiruddin, and Tauheed Ahmad Shah, found guilty under the IPC, UAPA, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Arms Act.
- Prosecutors said the group planned bomb blasts and a suicide attack in crowded places in Lucknow, with a pressure‑cooker IED, explosives, a pistol, and cartridges seized in July 2021 raids.
- Investigators said a handler known as Umar Helmandi guided the module online from the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, with recruitment and propaganda spread over social media.
- The court also imposed fines, related prosecutions are still underway, and the defence has said it will appeal the judgment.