NIA charge sheets 3 militants in Bhatindi case

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three persons before a special court here in connection with a case relating to the recovery of an IED from Bhatindi in June, an official said today.
Nadeem Ul Haq, Talib Ur Rehman of Ramban and Nadeem Ayoub Rather of Shopian have been named in the charge sheet filed under sections of the IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, the official of the premier investigation agency said.
The case pertains to the recovery of IED by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from Nadeem Ul Haq in June near Madarsa Markaz Ul Haroof at Bhatindi, the NIA official said.
The case, initially registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, was taken up for investigation by the NIA in July.
The three accused were receiving instructions from Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) handlers via WhatsApp, the NIA official said.
Investigation has unearthed a larger conspiracy of recruitment and plans to activate a significant number of radicalised youth in entire Valley to target security personnel and public places to wage a war against the Government of India, the official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.
Meanwhile, the NIA also filed a charge sheet before a special court in Patna against five people who allegedly triggered a blast at the Darbhanga Railway Station on June 17 on the direction of Pakistan-based operatives of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, an official said.
They had intended to set ablaze a long-distance train, he said.
Of the five named in the charge sheet, Mohammad Nasir Khan, Imran Malik, Saleem Ahmed and Kafil Ahmad have been arrested. The fifth, Iqbal Mohammed, is absconding and is staying in Lahore, the official said, adding all of them are natives of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh.
The charge sheet was filed under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and the UAPA, the official of the premier investigation agency said.
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives had planned to set ablaze a moving long-distance train by placing incendiary IEDs/parcel bombs in it so that there is a huge loss of life and damage to property, the NIA official said.
On the directions of Hafeez Iqbal, a Pakistan-based LeT operative, Mohammad Nasir Khan and Imran Malik fabricated an IED using locally-procured chemicals and placed it in a parcel of clothes, the official said.
The parcel was booked in the Secunderabad-Darbhanga Express. The intention was that on triggering of the incendiary IED, the cloth parcel would catch fire, spread in other parcels converting it into a large conflagration, the NIA official said
Mohammad Nasir Khan had travelled to Pakistan and received training in espionage, handling of arms and ammunition and fabricating IEDs. He also received funds from Pakistan on various occasions, the official said.
After the incident, the Pakistan-based handlers had tried to facilitate the escape of Mohammad Nasir Khan, Imran Malik, Saleem Ahmed and Kafil Ahmad to a foreign country through Nepal. However, they were arrested, the NIA official said, adding further investigation is underway.