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NIA arrest another accused in 2019 Pulwama attack case

Farooq, along with others, had assembled the IED used in the terror attack.

IANS | New Delhi | July 2, 2020 9:15 pm

NIA arrest another accused in 2019 Pulwama attack case

Photo: IANS

In a major breakthrough in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack case in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said it has arrested one more accused who was in touch with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) members in Pakistan.

An NIA spokesperson here said that it has arrested Mohammad Iqbal Rather, 25, a resident of Budgam in Jammu & Kashmir.

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This is sixth arrest in the February 2019 CRPF convoy terror attack case.

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The NIA official claimed Rather had facilitated the movement of Muhammad Umar Farooq, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist and a key conspirator in this case, after he infiltrated into Indian territory in Jammu region in April, 2018, from the National Highway near international border to south Kashmir.

Farooq, along with others, had assembled the IED used in the terror attack.

Rather had been in judicial custody since September, 2018 in another Jaish-e-Mohammed related case investigated by NIA.

After Rather was produced before the NIA Special Court in Jammu on Thursday he was taken into seven-day agency custody for his interrogation.

The official said that initial examination has revealed that Rather was in constant touch with Pakistan-based leadership of JeM and was in communication with them over secure messaging applications.

“Rather was part of the transportation module of JeM terrorist organisation,” the official said.

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The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.