New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS): A Special NIA Court in Gujarat has awarded ten years rigorous imprisonment to two terrorists for their involvement in misusing social media platforms to radicalise and recruit cadres to carry out terror acts in India in the name of IS.

Real brothers -- Vaseem Arif Ramodia alias Ninja Fox and Naeem Arif Ramodia alias ND -- have been sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment.

"Investigations have revealed that they used online chats and messages to advocate and spread the ideology of IS. They arranged, participated and assisted in organising online discussions and meetings among active IS operatives to plan and execute acts of violence and terrorism," the probe agency said.

The NIA said that the accused had tried to commit arson by burning vehicles and shops belonging to non-Muslims. They had tried to fabricate an IED as well.

"On the directions of their online IS handlers, both the accused were preparing to carry out a lone-wolf attack at Chotila Temple. They had already recced the area but were apprehended before they could carry out the attack," the NIA alleged in the chargesheet.

The case was initially registered in 2017 at PS ATS Ahmedabad, Gujarat and later, the probe of the matter was taken over by the NIA.

"With the pronunciation of these two sentences, the conviction rate of NIA cases stands at 93.69 per cent," the investigation agency said.