New Delhi [India], July 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested three persons, including a prison psychiatrist and a City Armed Reserve policeman, following extensive searches in Karnataka's two districts in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group's prison radicalisation case of 2023.
Searches were conducted at five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar districts of the state, leading to the arrest of Nagaraj, Psychiatrist in Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru; Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Chan Pasha, and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused.
During the searches, the agency said that various digital devices, cash, gold and incriminating documents were seized from the houses of the arrested accused and other suspects.
As per the NIA, the case relates to the recovery of arms, ammunition, explosives and digital devices, including two walkie-talkies, from habitual offenders who were conspiring to unleash terror activities in Bengaluru city with the aim of furthering the nefarious agenda of the proscribed terrorist organization LeT.
As part of the conspiracy, NIA said that Nagaraj was smuggling mobile phones for use by prison inmates including Tadiyandaveed Naseer alias T Naseer, a life-time convict lodged in terror cases in Central Prison, Bengaluru. "Nagaraj was supported by one Pavithra in this activity," said the NIA.
Besides houses of Nagaraj and Pavithra, NIA also searched the house of Anees Fathima, mother of absconder Junaid Ahmed and involved in passing instructions from Naseer to her son for raising funds and handing over the same to T Naseer in prison.
NIA investigations revealed that ASI Chan Pasha had, in 2022, been involved in passing information related to T Naseer's escort from prison to various courts in exchange of money.
NIA has already chargesheeted nine accused, including absconder Junaid Ahmed, under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act in the case.