10 Lashkar-e-Taiba men charged for preparing to revive outfit's activities in India

The NIA today charged suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives Sheikh Abdul Naeem and others in a Delhi court for allegedly preparing to revive the terror outfit's activities in India on the directions of Pakistan-based handlers.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) named 10 persons -- five of whom have been arrested, while the rest are absconding -- in its charge sheet filed before District Judge Poonam A Bamba.

The charge sheet, which also names two persons, who have turned approvers, will be taken up for consideration on July 4, the next date of hearing.

Besides Naeem, the final report has named Bedar Bakht, Towseef Ahmad Malik, Dinesh Garg and Adish Kumar Jain as accused, who were arrested from different parts of the country, and are currently in judicial custody.

The charge sheet named Habib-ur-Rahman, Gul Nawaz, Javed and Mohd Imran as absconders, besides one Amzad, a Pakistan resident.

The report also listed the role of Mahfooz Alam and Abdul Samad, who were granted conditional pardon by the court earlier this month after both turned approvers.

The case was registered on November 27, 2017, against Sheikh Abdul Naeem, Amzad and others on allegations that Naeem was involved in receiving funds from Pakistan and UAE based LeT operatives for terrorist activities in India, and using it to establish hideouts, recruit people for the outfit and to do reconnaissance of targets in India.

Naeem, in pursuance of the larger criminal conspiracy to carry out the subversive activities in India, infiltrated into the country from the Bangladesh side along with three of his associates -- Muzaffar Ahmed Rather, a Jammu and Kashmir resident, and two Pakistan-based terrorists, Md Abdulla and Md Yunus -- in 2007, and while infiltrating into the Indian territory, he got arrested, the charge sheet said.

It added that while Rather, Abdulla and Yunus were awarded death sentence by a West Bengal court in January last year, the trial against Naeem is still pending since he had escaped from custody in August 2014, while being taken from Kolkata to Maharashtra for a court attendance.

"After his escape, Naeem continued his activities as an active member of the LeT and remained in telephonic (voice and VOIP calls) and internet (Nimbuz) contact with his handlers of LeT, including, but not limited to Abdullah Rashid of Faisalabad, Pakistan," the final report said.

An Interpol Red Notice was issued against Rashid in 2009.

"On the instructors of his LeT handlers, Naeem carried out reconnaissance of hotels, restaurants and other places frequented by Jews, Israeli tourists, at and around Tosh, and Kasol at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh for carrying out jihadi activities.

"He recorded the videos of these places on his mobile and typed coded messages on his mobile to be sent to his handlers in Pakistan," it said.

It claimed that with the investigation in the case, a large network of the LeT, operating in the country and posing a serious security threat to the country, has been neutralised.

"The role of Abdul Samad, a hawala operator, based in Muzaffarnagar, was established, who in connivance with Saudi Arabia-based Gul Nawaz and Muzafarnagar, UP-based jewellers Dinesh Garg and Adish Kumar Jain received funds from Saudi Arabia and delivered them to Naeem and others," it said.

The accused were charged under various sanctions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Indian Penal Code, Passport Act, Aadhaar Act and Arms Act.