NIA files chargesheet against Pak national, 2 J&K residents in terror conspiracy case

New Delhi, Jan 09  :  The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday chargesheeted three more persons, affiliated with an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), for conspiring to unleash violent terrorist attacks with sticky bombs, IEDs and small arms in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the accused include a Pakistani national Habibullah Malik of Pakistan.

The statement reads that he has been found to have been involved in various terrorist attacks in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

“Habibullah, along with Hilal Yaqooob Deva and Musaib Fayaz Baba, both hailing from Shopian, has been named in the supplementary chargesheet filed today before the NIA Special Court, Jammu, under the relevant sections of IPC and UA (P) Act, 1967,” it reads.

It added that the Supplementary chargesheet follows investigations in the case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) registered suo-motu by the NIA on 21st June 2022.

“The case relates to a conspiracy hatched physically as well as in cyberspace by various proscribed terrorist organisations to spread fear and terror and disrupt peace in J&K.”

It reads that investigations so far have revealed that the trio had entered into a criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks on security forces and others in Jammu and Kashmir with the intention to wage war against the Government of India.

“Habibullah Malik was an active Commander of Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the proscribed LeT terror outfit. He was engaged in motivating vulnerable Kashmiri youth to join the TRF/LeT for carrying out terrorist activities in J&K.”

It further reads that as per NIA investigations, Habibullah had radicalised the other two accused, Hilal and Musiab, both of whom had started working as Over Ground Workers (OGWs) for him.

“On Habibullah’s directions, the two OWGs had collected and transported funds and weapons from/to his other OGWs to facilitate and support terror attacks in J&K.”

It added that the entire conspiracy was found to be part of the bigger plans of the banned terrorist outfits to commit acts of terror and violence by indoctrinating local youth and mobilising overground workers to disturb peace and communal harmony in J&K.

“With the various banned terrorist organisations floating new outfits to carry out their terror related activities in J&K, the NIA has stepped up its crackdown and investigations in the region in recent months.”

It reads that under the NIA scanner are outfits such as The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF and others. These outfits are affiliated to Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Al-Qaeda, etc.

The statement reads that the anti-terror agency has intensified its operations to thwart the conspiracy of these organisations to revive terrorism and disturb the peace and communal harmony of Jammu & Kashmir—(KNO)