Thane, June 30 (UNI) Former Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) office-bearer, Saquib Nachan, was buried today at his native Padgha-Borivali village in the district under stringent security protocols, following his death in a Delhi hospital on Saturday last.

The 67-year-old, facing terrorism charges in the Pune ISIS module case, succumbed to a brain hemorrhage while in judicial custody.

Approximately 2,000 mourners attended the funeral rites in Bhiwandi taluka, where Nachan was interred beside his mother's grave following “Namaz-e-Janaza“ prayers.

Authorities permitted his incarcerated son Shamil, held at Taloja Jail, to attend under supervision. A contingent of 500 police personnel maintained order, with senior officers monitoring the proceedings.

Nachan's legal history includes a 2016 conviction for involvement in 2002-03 Mumbai bomb blasts, for which he served 10 years' imprisonment.

In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) re-arrested him during nationwide raids targeting ISIS operatives, alleging he served as the Pune module's leader while based in Padgha. The agency accused Nachan of administering oaths of allegiance to ISIS, fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and designating his village a "liberated zone" for anti-national activities.

His death followed hospitalisation while detained at Tihar Jail. The burial occurred weeks after Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted June searches at 22 Borivali and Padgha locations, detaining several suspects, including Nachan's relatives, for questioning related to post-Pahalgam attack security measures. All were subsequently released.

The NIA maintains Nachan collaborated with co-accused to advance ISIS objectives in India prior to his 2023 arrest.

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