As a reciprocal measure to the visit of the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to India and to carry forward its probe into the terror attack at the strategic IAF base in Pathankot by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) cadre, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will visit that country.
Dates for the visit will be worked out later, Director- General of NIA Sharad Kumar told reporters here at the end of five-days of discussions with Pakistani JIT which returned home on Friday.
“We expressed that a team of NIA could be sent to Pakistan for a probe in that country since the conspiracy had been hatched there. They welcomed the idea and the dates will be worked out later,” the D-G said.
Kumar said the NIA presented the JIT with “concrete evidence” against the office-bearers of JeM who conspired in the attack and the handlers of the terrorists who facilitated and guided them.
“The NIA also sought voice samples of some senior office-bearers of JeM,” he said without naming anyone. However, NIA sources said that they had sought voice samples of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and Khayyam Babbar, mother of one of the slain JeM terrorists identified as Nasir Hussain as he had called her before launching the attack at the airbase in Pathankot.
Kumar also said that the NIA has asked the JIT for a DNA sample of the mother of the dead terrorist.
fed the JIT on investigations carried out here in the case. The terror attack executed by the Pakistan-based terror group JeM on January 2 at Pathankot airbase left seven security personnel dead. Six terrorists were also killed in the gunbattle with the security forces.
The Pakistan JIT, headed by Additional Inspector General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai and also including ISI’s lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, in turn, shared with NIA the results of investigations carried out by them so far in Pakistan.
“The interaction with JIT was held in accordance with terms of reference mutually agreed on the basis of reciprocity. The Pakistan JIT assured us of their full cooperation and promised to execute the lR which has been received by them,” he said.
The JIT, which arrived here on March 27, interacted on the Pathankot case with NIA officials and the itinerary of the visiting team included a tour of the IAF base where they were shown the scene of crime as well as the location from where the terrorists sneaked in and hid before carrying out the assault.
The JIT also visited the spot where Ikagar Singh’s vehicle was snatched, where he was murdered, and the spot from where the terrorists hijacked the SUV of SP Salwinder Singh, Kumar said, adding the route taken by the terrorists was also shown to the JIT.
“These are part of the standard legal procedure of investigation followed in both nations,” he said.
On JIT’s request, the NIA provided certified copies of post-mortem reports, ballistic report of the seized weapons, call data record, DNA reports of four terrorists and the seizure memo of articles from the scene of crime.
The Pakistan JIT was given access to 13 witnesses including Salwinder Singh, his cook, Rajesh Verma and some witnesses as per agreed terms of reference and extant legal provisions.
“The JIT informed us that they were collecting admissible evidence outside Pakistan under the provision of Section 188 of the CrPC of Pakistan, that will legally enable them to be used in prosecution,” he said.
The NIA has also requested the JIT to verify the various articles seized from the terrorists including arms and ammunition as mentioned in the letters Rogatory sent earlier to Pakistan.
The NIA shared with JIT the identity and the address of the 4 terrorists and requested that the JIT confirm those details.