The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Udhampur terrorist attack case on Thursday filed a voluminous 1,600 page chargesheet against nine accused persons including Mohammed Naveed aka Usman, leT cadre captured alive by the local residents with the help of security forces from the attack site.
Two lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) terrorists hailing from Pakistan had attacked a BSF convoy near Narsoo nullah on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district of Jammu region on August 5, 2015.
The audacious strike resulted in the death of two BSF personnel and thirteen others were injured.
To unravel the conspiracy behind the terror strike the case was transferred to NIA for investigation and NIA re-registered the case as RC-08/2015/NIA/DlI.
In the last over five months NIA team worked laboriously to thoroughly investigate the case.
About 200 witnesses including 19 protected witnesses were cited in the chargesheet by the NIA.
The chargesheet in the case has been filed under sections 120B, 121, 121A, 122, 302, 307, 325, 326, 333, 342, 364, 435, 109 & 34 of the Ranbir Penal Code, Sections 16, 18, 19, 20, 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 14-A Foreigners’ Act, Section 3 (3) of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, Section 25 (1) (A), 25 (1-B) (a) and Section 27 of the Arms Act, Section 9- B (1) (a) (b) of the Explosive Act, and Section 3 (b) & 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.
The chargesheet has been filed against the accused Mohammed Naveed @ Usman, Khursheed Ahmed Bhat @ Khursheed Alam Bhat, Showkat Ahmed Bhat, Shabzar Ahmed Bhat, Fayaz Ahmed Ittoo @ Fayaz Khar, Khursheed Ahmed Ittu, Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar @ Setha, Ashiq Hussain Bhat @ Ubaida and Abu Noman.
Of the accused, Abu Noman was killed in retaliatory action by the security forces upon the commencement of the instant terrorist attack, while Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar @ Setha and Ashiq Hussain Bhat @ Ubaida are still absconding.
The investigation has not only unearthed the specific conspiracy behind the terrorist attack in Udhampur but also the larger conspiracy of the leT through which Mohammed Naveed @ Usman and his associates were infiltrated and sheltered in Indian territory for committing terrorist acts.
The NIA will continue further investigation in the case in order to collect further evidence in the case.
According to official sources, Special PP Baldev Singh Manhas with Chief Investigating Officer Atul Goel presented challan in the special NIA court. Special Judge NIA Kishore Kumar observed that since the powers under NIA Act has not been entrusted, so the effective order cannot be passed and fixed February 12, 2016 for further proceedings before sending the accused back to Jail.
While the NIA team produced the challan in the special court some of the accused requested before the Court that NIA is not allowing them to meet their relatives in the Court, upon this Special Judge NIA said that this direction was passed by the High Court and if their relatives wants to meet them they will go to jail and meet them under Jail Manual.