NIA chargesheets 3 in Bengaluru terror case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted three accused, including a psychiatrist, in a 2023 case linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit in Bengaluru, officials said on Friday.
In its second supplementary chargesheet filed before a court in Bengaluru on Thursday, the agency has named Anees Fathima, Chan Pasha A, and Nagaraj S under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Karnataka Prisons Act, they said.
The NIA, which took over the case from the local police in October 2023, had earlier chargesheeted nine accused, including absconder Junaid Ahmed. The case, originally registered by the Bengaluru City police in July 2023, related to the recovery of arms, ammunition, and digital devices from habitual offenders who had planned to unleash terror in the city with the intent of disrupting India’s sovereignty and security, an official Statement said.
The activities, aimed at promoting the LeT’s interests, were part of a larger conspiracy to facilitate the escape of T Naseer, a life convict in several terror cases, en route from the prison to the court, it said.
Naseer was an under-trial prisoner in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast cases at the time.
Among the three chargesheeted, Anees Fathima has been identified as Junaid’s mother, says the Statement issued by the NIA.
She had provided logistical support and funds to T Naseer inside Parappana Agrahara, Central Prisons, Bengaluru, it said.
Fathima was also involved in handling hand grenades and walkie-talkies on her son’s directives, and had facilitated communications between the various accused, the Statement said.
NIA investigations further revealed her vital role in harbouring key accused Salman Khan and helping him abscond to Dubai by arranging his travel documents. Salman was subsequently extradited to India from the Republic of Rwanda, it said.
Chan Pasha A, an assistant sub-inspector at the City Armed Reserve-South, Bengaluru City, received illegal gratification from Salman for sharing information about the escort details of Naseer, with whom he had connections while he was on prisoner escort duty, the NIA said.
Nagaraj S, a psychiatrist on deputation at Central Prisons Hospital, Parappana Agrahara, was involved in illegally smuggling mobile phones into the prison and selling them to the inmates for cash, it said. One of these phones had reached Naseer, who used it to communicate with his co-accused to conspire to promote the terror plot, the probe agency said.
