A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) convicted two accused linked to an al-Qaeda terror plot. Mohd Mustaqueem and Shakeel, both from Lucknow, received 20-month jail terms. They were fined ₹5,000 each. Earlier on October 30, Mohammad Moid was convicted in the same case involving two al-Qaeda members. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested suspects on July 11, 2021, based on information that Umar Halmandi, an al-Qaeda member, was recruiting youths for AQIS (al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) in Lucknow. "Umar, who was based at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was operating in Lucknow with the aim of preparing youth to carry out terrorist acts before Independence Day 2021 in various cities of Uttar Pradesh," the NIA said. After investigation, the NIA filed a main and a supplementary charge sheet against six arrested accused in the conspiracy.