NIA Court frames charges in J&K Narco-terror case

A special NIA court in Jammu and Kashmir has framed charges against ten accused, including handlers of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in a narco-terror case, officials said on Thursday.The charges include offences relating to waging war against the Government of India, criminal conspiracy, terrorist acts, raising funds for terrorist organisations, membership and support to terrorist organisations, destruction of evidence and forgery.
The court ordered the framing of charges in an FIR registered by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir in October 2022, concerning a cross-border conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan/PoJK-based handlers of the terrorist outfit LeT.The agency said the framing of charges reflected the strength of the evidence collected during the investigation and marked a crucial stage in the prosecution, with the trial set to proceed through the recording of prosecution evidence before the competent court.
The SIA Kashmir established that the syndicate smuggled narcotic substances across the Line of Control (LoC) into J-K and channelised the illicit proceeds for financing terrorism, sustaining terrorist infrastructure and strengthening the terror ecosystem in the UT and identified 16 accused people, including four Pakistan/PoJK-based terrorist handlers, officials said. During the investigation, the SIA identified 16 accused, including four Pakistan/PoJK-based handlers allegedly linked to the conspiracy.
According to the agency, ten accused have been arrested, while Sageer Ahmad Poswal of Kupwara and four Pakistan-based accused have been declared absconders. Another accused, Mushtaq Ahmad Malik alias Rahee of Sopore, was killed in an encounter. The SIA said it has filed six charge sheets against all 16 accused and also succeeded in arresting three proclaimed offenders who had earlier evaded arrest.
Meanwhile, five persons were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Thursday in connection with its probe into a terror module of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit, officials said. The arrested persons were identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti and Mohammad Hasan Kardia. They were apprehended from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka of Patan district. The five accused were held after their names surfaced during the investigation of eight alleged JeM operatives held earlier this month, the officials added.

(Freelance Journalist)