The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided the residential premises of an absconding accused carrying bounty of Rs 3 lakh in the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror conspiracy case, the agency official said.

The accused has been identified as Riaz Ahmed alias Hazari, a resident of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The searches conducted today at Riaz’s house led to the seizure of one mobile phone, which is being analysed.

The anti-terror agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for leads on Riaz.

The case was registered initially by Anti-Terrorist Squad, Uttar Pradesh on September 12, 2018, and the NIA re-registered the case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on September 24, 2018.

The case registered against one Kamruj and others related to a criminal conspiracy to carry out terror attacks by Hizbul Muzahideen cadres at different places in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India.

Kamruj and one absconding accused, Osama Bin Javed, were chargesheeted in the NIA Special Court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on March 11, 2019 under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Osama was killed in an encounter with security forces on September 28 in 2019.

Subsequently, on May 29, 2021, a Supplementary Chargesheet was filed against arrested accused persons Nisar Ahmad Sheikh and Nishad Ahmad Butt, both residents of J-K. A second supplementary chargesheet was filed against the arrested accused Danish Naseer on November 25, 2022.

Investigations have revealed that accused Kamruj was radicalized by Osama Bin Javed to join the Hizbul Mujahideen and both received nine months of physical and weapon-handling training by the cadres of the terror outfit.

Absconding accused Riaz, an active militant and district Deputy Commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, along with another co-accused Mohammad Amin alias Jahangir Saroori, also an active militant and District Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was involved in recruiting and training accused Kamruj and Osama Bin Javed in the forests of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

After completion of training, Kamruj was directed to set up bases and hideouts, and select targets in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and other parts of India for terrorist activities, said the NIA.

Accordingly, Kamruj had come to Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur city where he had also carried out reconnaissance of a few targets.