Sajjad Khan, the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist arrested in connection with the Pulwama terror attack, was sent to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by a Delhi court on Friday.

NIA will keep Sajjad in custody till 29 March.

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Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal of the Patiala House Court allowed the anti-terror agency to quiz Khan in the case.

During the proceedings the NIA told the court that Sajjad’s custody was required to unearth the deep-rooted conspiracy behind the 14 February attack in Pulwama that left 40 CRPF troopers dead.

Sajjad was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell from near Red Fort. He is believed to be a close associate of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmed Khan, who was eliminated earlier this month in South Kashmir.

Mudassir was a JeM terrorist and the one who arranged the vehicle and the explosives for Adil Ahmed Dar, the suicide bomber who attacked a CRPF convoy. The CRPF bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying around 2500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.

Mobile phone records indicated that Mudassir was in constant touch with Adil after providing the van to him.

He was among the three terrorists killed in Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district by security forces in an overnight encounter, which began after the terrorists opened fire during a cordon and search operation in Pinglish area.