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NIA files chargesheet against JeM chief Masood Azhar, 19 others in Pulwama terror attack case

NIA also mentioned the use of e-commerce platforms by the terror module in purchasing the high-end batteries, phones and chemicals for use in carrying out the attack.

SNS | New Delhi | August 25, 2020 8:24 pm

NIA files chargesheet against JeM chief Masood Azhar, 19 others in Pulwama terror attack case

JeM chief Masood Azhar (Photo: AFP)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday has filed the chargesheet in the 2019 February Pulwama terror attack case naming terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar and 19 others.

The accused named in the 13,800 pages chargesheet include those who were arrested from Pulwama for providing logistics, including shelter and shooting the last video of the suicide bomber Adil Dar.

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NIA also mentioned the use of e-commerce platforms by the terror module in purchasing the high-end batteries, phones and chemicals for use in carrying out the attack.

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Among the 19 individuals named in the chargesheet, seven people, including Umar Farooq, a nephew of Masood Azhar, have been killed.

Umar had come to Kashmir after allegedly crossing the international border in Jammu’s Samba district in 2018.

In its chargesheet, NIA said, “The investigation has revealed that Pulwama attack was a result of well-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by Pakistan based leadership of terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammmad.”

“The NIA chargesheet against 19 accused persons marks the culmination of year and a half long painstaking and meticulous investigation with valuable inputs received from other Central and state government agencies as well as foreign law enforcement agencies,” it said.

The chargesheet has been filed u/s 120-B, 121, 121-A, 122, 123, 307, 302 of the RPC, sections 7, 25, 27 of Arms Act, sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, sections 16, 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 19, 20, 21, 38 & 39 of the UA (P) Act, section 14C of Foreigners Act and section 4 of Jammu and Kashmir Public Property (Prevention of Damages) Act, 1985.

In July, the NIA had arrested 25-year-old Mohammad Iqbal Rather, a resident of Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the case.

He is accused of facilitating the movement of Muhammad Umar Farooq, the JeM terrorist and a key conspirator in this case, after he infiltrated into the Indian territory in Jammu region in April 2018.

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

“The main accused viz. Mohammad Umar Farooq also visited Afghanistan for explosives training in 2016-17. He infiltrated into India through International Border at Jammu-Samba Sector in April, 2018 and took over as Jaish-e-Mohammad Commander of Pulwama,” NIA said in a statement.

Earlier, the NIA found that Rather was in constant touch with the Pakistan-based leadership of the JeM and was in communication with them over secure messaging applications and was also part of the transportation module of the terrorist organisation.

“In Jan., 2019, Sajjad Ahmad Bhat purchased a Maruti EECO car for the purpose of carrying out the IED attack. The car was kept in the front-yard of Shakir Bashir’s house. Waiz-Ul-Islam ordered 04 kgs of Aluminium powder from his Amazon account on the directions of accused Mohd. Ismail @ Saifullah and gave the same to him,” NIA said.

“Towards the end of Jan, 2019, Mohammad Umar Farooq, Sameer Dar and Adil Dar made the propaganda video clip of the suicide attack at Insha Jan’s house which was released immediately after the attack,” it added.

“On 14th Feb. 2019, as the National Highway opened, Shakir Bashir drove Adil Ahmad Dar till National Highway, after which Adil Ahmad Dar took charge of the vehicle and drove on to the National Highway and carried out the suicide attack by ramming the Maruti EECO car laden with 200 Kgs of highgrade explosives into a bus of the CRPF convoy, resulting in 40 CRPF personnel getting martyred and damage to the tune of Rs.32,90,719/- to the public property,” it said.

The 19 terrorists and their current status are, Masood Azhar, 52 years, Pakistani national (Absconding); Rouf Asgar, 47 years, Pakistani national (Absconding); Ammar Alvi, 46 years, Pakistani national (Absconding); Shakir Bashir, 24 Years, r/o Kakapora, Pulwama, J&K (Arrested); Insha Jan, 22 Years r/o Kakapora, Pulwama, J&K (Arrested); Peer Tariq Ahmed Shah, 53 Years, r/o Kakapora, Pulwama, J&K (Arrested); Waiz-ul-Islam, 20 Years, r/o Srinagar, J&K (Arrested); Mohd Abbas Rather, 31 Years, r/o Kakapura, Pulwama, J&K. (Arrested); Bilal Ahmed Kuchhey, 28 years, r/o Hajibal, Lalhar, Pulwama, J&K (Arrested); Mohd Iqbal Rather, 25 years, r/o, Charar-e-Shareef, Budgam, J&K. (Arrested); Mohd Ismail, 25 years, r/o Pakistani national (Absconding); Sameer Ahmad Dar, 22 years, r/o Kakapora, Pulwama, Kashmir (Absconding); Ashaq Ahmed Nengroo, 33 years, r/o Rajpura, Pulwama. (Absconding); Adil Ahmed Dar, 21 years, r/o Kakapora, Pulwama, Kashmir (Killed); Muhammad Umar Farooq, 24 years, r/o Pakistani national (Killed); Mohd Kamran Ali, 25 years, r/o Pakistani national (Killed); Sajjad Ahmed Bhat, 19 years, r/o Bijbehera, Anantnag (Killed); Mudasir Ahmad Khan, 24 years, r/o Awantipura, Pulwama (Killed); Qari Yasir, r/o Pakistani national (Killed).

Last year on February 14, JeM plotted the Pulwama terror attack that killed over 44 CRPF personnel.

It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu-Kashmir as a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus in Pulwama district.

The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying around 2500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.

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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.