Engineer sentenced to life for plotting attack on American School of Bombay

MUMBAI: A Mumbai court on Friday sentenced to life computer engineer Anees Ansari for conspiring to attack children at the American school here.

Ansari, who was arrested in October 2014 by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and has been in jail since, was convicted under relevant Indian penal code (IPC) and information technology act (ITA) provisions by additional sessions Judge A A Joglekar.

ATS sources confirmed that Ansari was a resident of Kurla. “The suspect was arrested after he was observed to be talking about blowing up an American school in Bandra Kurla complex while chatting with some others on Facebook. This is preliminary information and the extent and seriousness are currently being investigated.” said a source in 2014.

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As per the prosecution, Ansari was working as an associate geographic technician at a private company and used the firm's computer to set up a Facebook account in a false name and published objectionable information. Ansari was arrested on October 18, 2014.

The probe agency also accused him of supporting activities of the ISIS, adding his Facebook chats with one Omar Elhaji showed he wanted to carry out a 'lone wolf' attack on the American school. "There are innumerous chats by him on the ISIS particularly in one of the chat he specifically mentions that he would carry attack on the American school," said an officer.