The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charges against eight individuals, including a life convict and two fugitives, in a case related to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) prison radicalization and ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) attack conspiracy. T Naseer, serving a life sentence in Bengaluru’s Central Prison since 2013, is among the accused, while Junaid Ahmed (JD) and Salman Khan are suspected to have fled abroad. The case, originally registered by Bengaluru City Police, involved the seizure of arms, ammunition, hand grenades, and walkie-talkies from seven of the accused. The NIA took over the case in October 2023 and revealed that Naseer had radicalized and recruited others while in prison. Junaid, after his release, was believed to have fled abroad, and the plot to carry out a ‘fidayeen’ attack was foiled with the seizure of weapons in July last year.
The others have been identified as Syed Suhail Khan alias Suhail, Mohammed Umar alias Umar, Zahid Tabrez alias Zahid, Syed Mudassir Pasha and Mohammed Faisal Rabbani alias Sadath. All eight accused persons have been charge-sheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Substances Act and the Arms Act.
Investigations into the case, which was taken over by the NIA in October 2023, revealed that T Naseer, who was involved in several blast cases, had come in contact with the other accused while they were all lodged in Bengaluru Prison during 2017, said the NIA.
While Salam was in prison in a POCSO case, the others were involved in a murder case, the anti-terror agency further said.
“Naseer had managed to get them all shifted to his barracks after a careful assessment of their potential with a view to radicalising and recruiting them into the LeT. He first managed to radicalise and recruit Junaid and Salman to further the activities of the LeT; thereafter, he conspired with Junaid to radicalise and recruit the other accused,” said the NIA. As per NIA investigations, Junaid began sending funds to his co-accused from abroad to promote LeT activities within and outside the prison. “Junaid also conspired with Salman to deliver arms, ammunition, hand grenades and walkie-talkies to the others as part of a plot to carry out a ‘fidayeen’ attack and help Naseer escape from police custody en route to court.”
Junaid also instructed his co-accused to steal used police caps for the attack and to commit arson on government buses as a practice run.
