A National Investigation Agency court in Kochi on Saturday convicted an operative of the Islamic State for helping 15 youths from Kerala to join the militant group, PTI reported. The court sentenced Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid, a native of Bihar, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000.

Zahid had been arrested from Delhi airport in July 2016 while trying to flee to Afghanistan to join the Islamic State group. She was found guilty under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code. This is the first verdict in an Islamic State group-related case in the state.

A person named Abdul Rashid Abdulla is the first accused in the chargesheet, while Zahid is the second. The NIA investigation revealed that Abdulla organised orientation classes in several places across Kerala asking youth to join the Islamic State group. Abdulla raised funds for the Islamic State and transferred the amount to Zahid, who used it to support the terrorist organisation, PTI reported.

The court examined 52 prosecution witnesses and nearly 50 pieces of evidence and found Zahid guilty of waging war against the country, the Hindustan Times reported. Abdulla, along with 12 other accused in the case, are now in Afghanistan and Syria, due to which the NIA has not chargesheeted them.

The youths had travelled from Kerala to Nangarhar province in Afghanistan, The Indian Express reported.