Maoist funding case: NIA raids in Dishergarh, Asansol
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) have simultaneously raided seven places in West Bengal today in connection with a suspected Maoist funding case in Ranchi.
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.
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.
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.
— NIA India (@NIA_India) August 25, 2020
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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