IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Nov 15:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) last week arrested two more persons attached to the proscribed militant organisations in connection with conspiracy to undertake violent terrorist acts in J&K and other major cities including New Delhi.
Rashid Muzaffar Ganaie and Nasir Mir both residents of Sopore township of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, were arrested in the case (No. in RC-29/2021/NIA/DLI. 2) thus taking the number of arrested to 27 within a month. The others who have been arrested include: Ishfaq Ahmed Wani and Amir Ahmad Gojri (both the resident of Srinagar) and Umar Bhat and Saddat Amin (both the residents of Sopore township).
The accused were working for the proscribed terrorist organisations Laskhare-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al Badr and similar other outfits and their affiliates such as the Resistance Front (TRF), People Against Fascist Forces (PAFF) etc, the NIA statement said..
These terrorists and cadres have effected several terrorist acts including killings of numerous innocent civilians and security personnel, unleashing a reign of terror in the valley of Kashmir, thereby challenging the writ of the state. Preliminary investigation has revealed that arrested accused are terror associates of various proscribed terrorist organisations and have been providing logistical and material support to terrorists, the NIA said.
The NIA registered the case on October 10 with regard to a conspiracy to undertake violent terrorist acts in J & K and other major cities by cadres of terrorist organisations. Subsequently the NIA carried out searches at 18 locations in Kashmir Valley and arrested nine terror associates. Four more arrests were made during searches at 11 locations on October 20. On October 22, eight more terror operatives were arrested during searches at 10 locations, while two arrests each were made in multiple raids on October 29 and 30.
In another development the administration of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is in the process of setting up the new, specialised investigating agency(SIA), to primarily investigate cases pertaining to terrorism and linked offences. It will be the nodal agency for “coordinating with the NIA and other Central Agencies and shall take measures to ensure speedy and effective investigation and prosecution of terrorism related cases. The agency will be in addition to the CID and other agencies working in the J&K. SIA will deal with the terror cases not referred to the NIA, official sources said.
An SIA Directorate will be set up in J&K with the head of the CID wing as its ex-officio Director. Officers to the Directorate will be deputed by the government. All the officers in-charge of the police stations will have to mandatorily intimate the SIA immediately on registration of terrorism-related cases, and also about such cases where any terrorism linkage surfaces during the investigation.
Offences pertaining to acts and provisions of the IPC including The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, The Explosive Substances Act, the Suppression of Terrorism Act, Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act will be handled by NIA.
Offences having terrorism linkage, terrorist financing and circulation of high quality fake India currency notes, spreading of disaffection, enmity against the Indian Union will be handled by the SIA.
