kolkata

Updated: Feb 05, 2020 12:13 IST

Suspected Islamic State (IS) operative Muhammed Masiuddin alias Abu Musa, lodged in Kolkata’s Presidency correctional home, hurled a sandal at the judge of the city sessions court during a hearing on Tuesday, triggering a ruckus inside the courtroom.

Even though the sandal missed the judge, it hit a lawyer. Following the incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a petition before the court requesting Musa’s trial through video conference.

“The hearing was on when Musa suddenly bent down and took off his sandal. He hurled it at the judge but the sandal hit a lawyer. We have filed a petition saying henceforth his trial should be conducted through video conferencing,” NIA lawyer Shyamal Kumar Ghosh said.

A lawyer present in the courtroom said that Musa, who was in the court lockup, got furious and threatened to commit suicide while the hearing was on. When his lawyer tried to placate him he hurled a sandal from inside the court lockup.

Musa has assaulted jail officials in the past.

He attacked a warden in the Presidency correctional home in January this year and in December 2017, he slashed the throat of a guard in Alipore correctional home.

Musa is West Bengal’s lone suspected IS operative and was arrested by the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in July 2016 on charges of persuading youths to join IS. Later, the case was handed over to NIA.

In December 2016, a seven-member team of the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) came to Kolkata and questioned Musa for two days.