The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday chargesheeted three persons, including a Pakistani national affiliated with an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), for allegedly conspiring to unleash violent terrorist attacks with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms in Jammu and Kashmir.
A NIA spokesman identified the Pakistani national as Habibullah Malik, who also functioned under several aliases such as Sajid Jutt, Saifullah, Noomi, Numan, Langda, Ali Sajid, Usman Habib and Shani.
“Malik hails from Kasur district in Pakistani Punjab and was found to have been involved in various terrorist attacks in Poonch and Rajouri districts,” the NIA said.
The NIA said Malik, along with Hilal Yaqooob Deva and Musiab Fayaz Baba from south Kashmir’s Shopian, has been named in the supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court, Jammu, under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The supplementary chargesheet follows investigations in the case registered suo motu by the NIA on June 21, 2022.
“The case relates to a conspiracy hatched physically as well as in cyberspace by various proscribed terrorist organisations to spread fear and terror and disrupt peace in J&K,” the NIA said.
The NIA said Malik was an active ‘commander’ of Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the LeT, and was engaged in motivating vulnerable Kashmiri youth to join the outfit for carrying out terrorist activities in J&K.
“Malik had radicalised the other two accused, Hilal and Musiab, both of whom had started working as over ground workers (OGWs) for him. On his directions, the two had collected and transported funds and weapons from and to his other OGWs to facilitate and support terror attacks in J&K,” the NIA said.
According to the NIA investigation, the trio had entered into a criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks on security forces and others in Jammu and Kashmir with the intention to wage a war against the government of India.
Published - January 10, 2024 02:18 am IST
