Latest news with #Naseer
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Eight terror suspects to plead guilty in Bengaluru prison plot case
Bengaluru: Eight defendants in the Bengaluru prison terror conspiracy case, including T Naseer with alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) links, have expressed their intention to plead guilty before a special court hearing National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases. The accused, currently in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison, were arrested in 2023 for allegedly radicalising fellow inmates and promoting terror-related activities while in jail between 2017 and 2023. Prime suspect T Naseer, who was an undertrial in connection with the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast case, led the alleged terror activities, police said. The case is currently being probed by NIA. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Other suspects who filed the applications are Syed Suhail, 24, Mohammed Umar, 30, Zahid Tabrez, 27, Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29, Mohammed Faisal, 29, Salman Khan, 29, and Chota Usman alias Vikram Kumar, 28. "All the eight suspects will be produced before the special court Wednesday. That day, the court will ask if they want to plead guilty," sources said. Prison psychiatrist in judicial custody Prison psychiatrist Dr Nagaraj, assistant sub-inspector of police (City Armed Reserve) Chand Pasha and Anees Fathima, mother of radicalisation case accused Junaid Ahmed, who is absconding, were produced before the special court Monday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experience the thrill on every turn with the new SP125 Honda Learn More Undo They were remanded in judicial custody. Last week, NIA arrested the three for allegedly aiding Naseer and others in different capacities. While Nagaraj is accused of supplying mobile phones and sim cards to Naseer and others, Pasha is charged with providing police security to Naseer and others in prison while the latter carried out terror activities. The third accused, Fathima, was arrested for allegedly providing monetary help and other assistance to the inmates. "Fathima was rushed to hospital Sunday after claiming to have consumed toilet cleaner. Doctors washed her stomach and found no traces of the cleaner. However, there were some traces of the toilet cleaner in her mouth," sources said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Prison radicalisation case: Eight, including prime accused, plead guilty
Eight accused involved in the Bengaluru prison radicalisation, including the prime accused, moved an application before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bengaluru pleading guilty. The prime accused accused Thadiyantavida Naseer, 47, moved an application in the court on July 7, along with seven co-accused — Syed Suhail Khan alias Suhail, 24; Mohammed Umar alias Umar 30; Zahid Tabrez alias Zahid, 27; Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29; Mohammed Faisal Rabbani alias Sadath, 29, Salman Khan, 29, and Vikram Kumar alias Chhota Usman. The eight are among 12 people currently accused in the prison conspiracy case registered in 2023, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They moved the application last week under Section 229 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The application allows the court to expedite the trial by convicting the accused based on their plea without a full trial. However, the NIA is preparing to submit its version on the application. The accused in their application told the court that it was voluntary and without any coercion, and sought to reduce the quantum of sentence . In July 2023, the CCB raided a house in Kodigehalli and recovered seven country-made pistols, 45 live rounds of ammunition, walkie-talkies and some documents. Further investigations led the police to believe that radicalisation happened inside the Bengaluru prison. The NIA has accused Naseer of radicalising the youths lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru. Naseer is an undertrial in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case and was convicted in a terrorism case in Kerala and linked the LeT. Last year, the NIA chargesheeted eight people, including T. Naseer and accused no: 52, Junaid Ahmed who is presently on the run, under various sections of IPC, UA(P) Act, 1967; Arms Act, 1959 and Explosive Substances Act, 1884. The NIA court on Monday remanded three people arrested on July 8 in the same case to judicial custody. They were earlier under NIA custody for six days. The three arrested are Anees Fathima, the mother of absconding accused Junaid Ahmed, prison psychiatrist Dr. Nagaraj S., and Chan Pasha, an ASI posted at the City Armed Reserve (CAR), North Bengaluru.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
7 accused in Bengaluru prison terror conspiracy case, including LeT-linked T Naseer, seek to plead guilty
Seven accused in the 2023 Bengaluru Central Prison terror conspiracy case, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked prime accused Thadiyantavide Naseer, 47, last week moved a court pleading guilty. The special court for terrorism cases in Bengaluru took on record the application filed by the seven accused to plead guilty in the case. The court noted the statement of the accused that the application was being filed 'voluntarily without any coercion or any influence from anyone'. Besides Naseer, the other six accused who pleaded guilty are Syed Suhail, 24; Mohammed Umar, 30; Zahid Tabrez, 27; Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29; Mohammed Faisal, 29; and Salman Khan, 29. The seven are among 12 people currently accused in the prison conspiracy case registered in 2023, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They moved the application last week under Section 229 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The application allows the court to expedite the trial by convicting the accused based on their plea without a full trial. The seven are accused of being involved in a terrorism plot where the LeT-linked Naseer, who is an undertrial prisoner in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case and a convict in a Kerala terrorism case, allegedly radicalised youths lodged in the prison in the 2017 to 2023 period to take up 'jihad' when they are released from prison. On July 8, a day after the seven accused moved the application to plead guilty, the NIA arrested three more people in the case: Anees Fathima, the mother of the absconding accused Junaid Ahmed; Dr Nagaraj S, a psychiatrist employed at the Bengaluru Central Prison; and Chan Pasha, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the City Armed Reserve (CAR) in North Bengaluru. Fathima is accused of playing a role in facilitating financial transactions between various accused in the conspiracy case. ASI Pasha is accused of providing police escort details of Naseer to other accused on payment of bribes, and the psychiatrist Dr Nagaraj is accused of smuggling mobile phones to Naseer inside the prison facility. The NIA filed an initial chargesheet in the prison terrorism case in February 2024 against six people and later charges were framed against eight arrested accused in May 2025, after one suspect, Salman Khan, was extradited from Rwanda in November 2024, and another suspect, Vikram Kumar alias Chota Usman, who was arrested by the Delhi Special Cell in March 2021, was linked to the case. The NIA took over the investigation of the case in October 2023 after the Bengaluru police conducted the initial investigations. The probe agencies alleged that the accused procured arms, ammunition and digital devices for terrorist activities after they were radicalised in prison by Naseer. 'Naseer had orchestrated the radicalisation and subsequent criminal activities, including plans to facilitate his own escape en route to the court from the prison and a conspiracy to further the operations of the proscribed terrorist organisation LeT,' the NIA said last year. Naseer was arrested in 2009 by the Bengaluru police for the 2008 serial blasts in the city, which killed one person. He is among 18 members of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who were sentenced to seven years in 2018 by an NIA court in Kerala for being part of a terror training camp at Vagamon in Kerala in 2007. On July 18, 2023, shortly after receiving information from a central agency, the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested five youths with a history of crime for alleged possession of seven country-made pistols, 45 live bullets, and for allegedly planning some form of terror attack in the future after being influenced by Naseer. Investigations of the communication and electronic devices seized from the accused revealed the transfer of funds from foreign shores to members of the arrested group in Bengaluru, said the police. The initial Bengaluru probe indicated that Naseer, who had been in prison for over 13 years, radicalised a few members of a group of 20 youths who were lodged in the Bengaluru Central Prison between 2017 and 2019 for the murder of a businessman in Bengaluru in October 2017. The police alleged that Naseer inspired Junaid Ahmed, 29, one of the 20 youths who were arrested in 2017 in the businessman murder case, to take up the cause of his religion and facilitated the creation of a terror module. Junaid Ahmed left the country for Dubai around 2021 and has not been traced yet. Several people who are accused in terror cases in Karnataka and lodged in prisons for prolonged periods before a trial have resorted to the strategy of pleading guilty to secure an early conviction and release from prison in the event of their having been in prison for periods that are close to the maximum imprisonment for offences. In a 2012 terror conspiracy case in which 13 Karnataka youths were arrested, the accused pleaded guilty during the trial process by moving an application under Section 229 of the CrPC. On September 15, 2016, a special court convicted the 13 of all the charges against them and sentenced them to five years in prison on the basis of the guilty plea. They were released in 2017 on completion of five years in prison.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Three accused in LeT-linked prison radicalisation case remanded to NIA custody
A special court on Wednesday remanded three individuals to six days of custody with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked radicalisation and terror plot allegedly orchestrated from inside Bengaluru's Central Prison. Three accused in LeT-linked prison radicalisation case remanded to NIA custody The accused -- Dr Nagaraj, a psychiatrist at Parappana Agrahara prison, assistant sub-inspector Chand Pasha, and Anees Fathima, mother of absconding terror suspect Junaid Ahmed -- were arrested a day earlier after coordinated NIA raids across five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar. According to the NIA, the trio were assisting LeT operative T Naseer, a life convict jailed for his role in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts. The agency has alleged that the accused helped smuggle mobile phones, leak transfer details, and deliver funds and messages to further LeT's objectives from within the prison. During the raids, digital devices, cash, gold, and incriminating documents were seized from the homes of the suspects. Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that concerns over prison radicalisation had been flagged earlier by the state. 'In 2023, we had informed them that some people were being radicalised. They had accessed certain information and manipulated or influenced a few individuals. As for what will happen next, or which direction the investigation will take, we do not know at this point,' he said. When asked about further action, he added, 'The central agencies are monitoring the situation. There may be addresses involved or other details that require deeper scrutiny. If anything else comes up, they will handle it. This is not necessarily related to terrorist activity, but since the digital traces are not limited to Bengaluru or Karnataka-- they could be linked to individuals outside the state or even abroad -- the central government is keeping a close watch and informing us.' The case, first flagged in July 2023 by Bengaluru CCB after the seizure of seven pistols, four grenades, and four walkie-talkies, was later handed over to the NIA. The agency alleges that habitual offenders were being recruited by Naseer to carry out fidayeen-style attacks in Bengaluru and help smuggle weapons into prison. Some were even expected to assist in a potential prison break during Naseer's court movements. In January 2024, the NIA filed charges against eight individuals, including Naseer, Junaid Ahmed, and Salman Khan, under the IPC, UAPA, Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act. A ninth accused, Vikram Kumar, was later added to the chargesheet. Naseer, originally from Kerala's Kannur district, was arrested in 2009 near the Bangladesh border and has been in Bengaluru prison since 2013. Convicted in the 2008 blasts case that killed one and injured 20, he was once LeT's South India commander and had been hiding in Kodagu under a false identity before his arrest. From 2017, he is believed to have begun radicalising fellow inmates, assessing their potential and indoctrinating them to join LeT. Among those allegedly recruited were Junaid, Salman, and several others. Reacting to the latest arrests, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar criticised the state government, accusing it of allowing a complete collapse of law and order. 'The NIA raids have exposed the law and order situation and the inefficiency of the Home Department. It is not just alarming but reflective of the Congress government's soft corner for terror, as an ASI and prison staff are colluding with international terrorists and quietly supporting extremist activities,' he said. 'Even as the Home Department staff were assisting terrorists lodged in the jail, the anti-terror squad was munching snacks. It is a shame that such incidents are happening right under the nose of the chief minister and home minister, while the state police remain mum and inactive,' Kumar added.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
LeT prison radicalisation case: BJP accuses govt of being soft on terror following NIA arrests
Bengaluru: The BJP on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested three individuals -- including a prison psychiatrist and a City Armed Reserve (CAR) policeman -- in connection with the 2023 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) prison radicalisation case. The arrests were made following extensive raids across Bengaluru and Kolar districts. Those arrested include Dr. Nagaraj, a psychiatrist at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison; Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Chan Pasha; and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused. The NIA said the case pertains to a conspiracy by habitual offenders to carry out terror activities in Bengaluru on behalf of the proscribed LeT outfit. Reacting to the arrests, BJP State General Secretary and MLA V. Sunil Kumar alleged that the incident exposed the Congress government's 'soft corner for terror.' 'A collapsed law and order system is a clear indication that the state is sinking poor business environment,' he said, calling the NIA operation a damning reflection of the Home Department's failure. Kumar expressed concern that state government officials, including an ASI and prison staff, were allegedly colluding with international terror networks. 'This isn't just alarming, it's evidence of silent support to extremists,' he said, questioning the role of the Karnataka Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in preventing such infiltration. 'It is shocking that staff from the Home Department allegedly aided a convicted Lashkar terrorist, Tadiyandaveed Naseer, lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, and passed instructions to absconder Junaid Pasha, believed to be operating from abroad,' Kumar said, adding, 'What exactly is the ATS doing in this state?' He also targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of weakening internal security forces -- drawing a parallel to the alleged dilution of the anti-Naxal force during his previous tenure. 'Is the Internal Security Division (ISD) also being rendered ineffective to avoid upsetting certain vote banks?' he asked. Kumar criticised what he called the government's misplaced priorities. 'While they rush to bring in 'hate speech' laws to silence Hindu activists, they ignore terror activities occurring within the state's prisons and police force,' he alleged. He warned the Congress government against being a 'silent spectator' in the face of rising security threats and accused it of indulging in appeasement politics. According to the NIA, during the raids, officials recovered arms, ammunition, digital devices, cash, gold, and documents from the accused. Dr. Nagaraj was allegedly smuggling mobile phones into the prison for use by inmates, including Naseer, with help from one Pavithra. Meanwhile, Anees Fathima is accused of passing on Naseer's instructions to her son, Junaid Ahmed, for raising funds and facilitating delivery inside the prison. The NIA also said ASI Chan Pasha had, in 2022, passed on information about Naseer's court escort movements in return for money.
