NIA chargesheets 3 in Kulgam terror recruitment case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 2

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today said it had filed a chargesheet against three accused in a special court, Jammu, under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Ranbir Penal Code for their alleged involvement in recruiting terrorists for Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Accused motivated youth to join LeT

The accused were found trying to motivate local youth to join the Lashkar-e-Toiba and organising their travel to Pakistan for terrorist training on the basis of valid travel documents on the recommendation of separatist leaders. — NIA official

Officials of the NIA said accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat, Junaid Ahmad Mattoo and Umer Rashid Wani, all residents of Kulgam district, were charged for their subversive activities as members of the LeT in Kulgam district. Mattoo and Wani had already been killed in separate encounters in 2017 and 2018, respectively, they added.

“The accused were found trying to motivate local youth to join the Lashkar-e-Toiba and organising their travel to Pakistan for terrorist training on the basis of valid travel documents on the recommendation of separatist leaders,” a senior NIA official said.

The officials said the case “arose out of an FIR, dated November 9, 2017, registered at the Kulgam police station, which the NIA took over on September 25, 2018, and re-registered it.

A senior official quoting the chargesheet said, “Investigation by the NIA established that LeT terrorist Junaid Ahmad Mattoo motivated accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat to join the LeT and go to Pakistan for terrorist training. Another LeT terrorist Umer Rashid Wani gave him funds to meet the expenses of his Pakistan visit.”

In July-August 2017, accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat visited Pakistan on valid travel documents for terrorist training with the assistance of separatist leaders and he was imparted weapons training and also training for using secret social media chat platforms, the official said.

“After returning from Pakistan, Bhat remained constantly in touch with LeT handlers in Pakistan and active militants of the Kulgam area on secret messaging platforms for carrying out subversive and terrorist activities in the Kashmir valley. He was working as a sleeper cell of the LeT and further intended to join the militant ranks in the banned terrorist organisation LeT,” the official said.