India plea to help nail jihadist Areeb Ejaz Majeed

Indian investigators say an Australian-based internet server could contain critical evidence leading to the conviction of an Indian IS recruit.

Indian investigators say an Australian-based internet server could contain critical evidence leading to the conviction, and ­potentially state execution, of an Indian Islamic State recruit now facing charges of fighting and recruiting for the Sunni extremists.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh is understood to have made a formal request for Australian co-operation in a meeting with Attorney-General George Brandis in New Delhi last week. The government is believed to be “favourably” considering it.

It comes at a delicate time for the federal government, with a parliamentary inquiry considering whether Australia should ­advocate for a global moratorium on the death penalty following ­Indonesia’s executions of Australian drug traffickers Myuran ­Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

Areeb Ejaz Majeed, a 23-year-old engineering student from Mumbai, was arrested last ­November on his return to India’s financial capital after six months in Iraq and Syria, where Indian ­investigators allege he underwent terror training and fighting missions for Islamic State.

While he is facing multiple charges under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, it is understood none of them currently attracts the death penalty.

Should investigators find evidence in email conversations between Majeed and his Islamic State handlers — stored on an Australian-located server — that he did kill people in Iraq and Syria, those charges could be upgraded to “causing death by committing terrorist acts”, a crime that carries a possible death penalty.

It is not clear whether Indian authorities would be prepared to take the death penalty off the table in order to secure Australia’s participation. The Australian was still waiting for a response from India’s Home Ministry last night.

Investigating officers believe the server would “very probably contain good documentary evidence” for the case, as well as ­potentially offer broader information about Islamic State recruiting and other activities in India.

“When Areeb had conversations with his handlers in Iraq and Syria, those conversations that the emails contained were incidentally stored in a server in Australia,” a National Investigation Agency officer with knowledge of the case told The Australian.

“(Majeed) had nothing to do with Australia. He never visited Australia, there is no handler in Australia, but the server where the email conversations are stored, those are located in Australia.”

Majeed is believed to have used an Australian-based Yahoo email account to communicate with handlers.

The NIA’s charge sheet claims he “met several ISIL members, underwent various trainings, including training in arms and ­explosives” and also suggests he actively took part in terror missions. Majeed has said he returned voluntarily after losing confidence in Islamic State.