Latest news with #TNaseer
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Indian Express
Bengaluru prison psychiatrist bought phones for Rs 8,000, sold them to prisoners for Rs 25,000: NIA
An investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the usage of mobile phones by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked terror convict housed in the Bengaluru Central Prison has revealed that a prison psychiatrist was procuring mobile phones from a local mobile store for prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 and selling it to prisoners for Rs 25,000. The NIA, which is investigating a prison radicalisation case, where the LeT-linked convict Thadiyantavide Naseer, 47, is accused of radicalising youths in the prison, arrested prison psychiatrist Dr S Nagaraj on July 8 for allegedly supplying mobile phones to Naseer and other prisoners at the Bengaluru Central prison. Naseer has been convicted in a terrorism case in Kerala and is currently under trial for the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case and the prison radicalisation case. The NIA has now sought to question some prisoners in the Bengaluru central jail who were alleged recipients of mobile phones sold by the prison psychiatrist through prison intermediaries. A special court for terrorism cases has allowed the NIA to question a murder convict from Karnataka who is housed in the Bengaluru Central Prison as part of further investigations. The NIA probe has found that the prison psychiatrist lived a lavish life with frequent visits to holiday resorts around the country and that one of his two mistresses allegedly helped him in procuring and supplying phones to prisoners in the Bengaluru Central Prison. The NIA has found during its investigations that Dr Nagaraj purchased mobile phones from a mobile store near his house and 'illegally took/smuggled them into the prison and further handed over the said mobile phones to the convicted prisoners'. The prison psychiatrist took Rs 25,000 per mobile from the prisoners while he purchased the mobile phones at prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, the NIA said in court filings. The NIA is investigating the source of funds for convicted prisoners like T Naseer, who are lodged in the high security barrack of the prison, to buy cell phones. Naseer is alleged to have been sold phones at a higher cost by the psychiatrist than other prisoners. 'These mobile phones are purchased under the pseudo name of Raghu. He has also disclosed that the mobile phone used by accused No.1 T Naseer was also purchased by him from Priya mobile in the pseudo name of Raghu,' the NIA court has noted. The psychiatrist allegedly received cash from the convicted prisoners for smuggling phones into the prison. The special court has directed prison authorities to allow NIA officials to conduct further investigations in the prison on the phone supplies and usage by T Naseer and others. The LeT-linked Naseer, who has been in the Bengaluru prison since 2009, was accused in 2023 of being a key player in a prison radicalisation initiative where he allegedly radicalised eight undertrial youths lodged in the prison from 2017 to 2023 to take up jihad when they are released from prison. Seven youths are arrested and one is still missing. Seven of the eight prisoners arrested in the case, including Naseer, moved an application in the special court on July 7 to plead guilty in the prison radicalisation, terror conspiracy case, which the NIA is currently investigating. On July 8, the NIA arrested three more people in the case: Dr Nagaraj, a Central Armed Reserve policeman; Chan Bhasha; and Anees Fathima, the mother of Junaid Ahmed, a missing accused in the radicalisation case, for allegedly aiding the prison activities of Naseer. Apart from Naseer, the other arrested accused in the prison case are Syed Suhail, 24; Mohammed Umar, 30; Zahid Tabrez, 27; Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29; Mohammed Faisal, 29; Salman Khan, 29; and Vikram Kumar alias Chota Usman, 25. Among the three arrested on July 8, Anees Fathima is accused of facilitating financial transactions between various accused persons in the conspiracy case, the policeman Pasha is accused of providing police escort details of T Naseer to other accused persons on payment of bribes, and the psychiatrist Dr Nagaraj is accused of smuggling phones into the prison. The investigation of the prison terror conspiracy case was taken over by the NIA in October 2023 after the Bengaluru police conducted the early investigations. The probe agencies have alleged that the accused procured arms, ammunition and digital devices for terrorist activities after they were radicalised in prison by Naseer. The initial Bengaluru police 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 case of the murder of the businessman, to take up the cause of his religion and facilitated the creation of a module. Junaid Ahmed left the country for Dubai around 2021 and has not been traced yet. Naseer allegedly radicalised Junaid's parents, Anees Fathima and Abdul Basheer, when they were lodged in the Bengaluru prison over a 2017 sandalwood theft case. 'Naseer had orchestrated the radicalisation and subsequent criminal activities, including plans to facilitate his own escape enroute 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 who was arrested in 2009 by the Bengaluru police for the 2008 serial blasts in the city which killed one person is among 18 members of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) convicted for seven years in 2018 by an NIA court in Kerala for being part of a terror training camp at Vagamon in Kerala in 2007.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- 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.
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- India Gazette
NIA arrests prison psychiatrist, city armed reserve policeman among 3 in Karnataka LeT prison radicalisation case
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): 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. (ANI)
Mint
08-07-2025
- Mint
Lashkar-e-Taiba prison radicalisation case: NIA arrests central jail psychiatrist, 2 more from Karnataka
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, July 8, arrested a Central Prison psychiatrist and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) among three persons from Karnataka in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group's prison radicalisation case of 2023. The arrests were made following extensive searches in two districts of Karnataka. According to NIA, searches were conducted at five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar districts of the state which lead to the 'arrest of Dr Nagaraj, Psychiatrist, Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) ASI Chan Pasha, and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused.' The investigation agency also found various digital devices, cash, gold and incriminating documents during the searches at the accused's houses. 'The case RC-28/2023/NIA/DLI 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,' the NIA said. The Central agency said that the psychiatrist was smuggling mobile phones to inmates including Tadiyandaveed Naseer @ T Naseer, a life-time convict lodged in terror cases in Central Prison, Bengaluru. Also Read | BIG arrest: 2 arrested for harbouring Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists responsible for Pahalgam terror attack, says NIA Nagaraj was supported by one Pavithra in this activity. '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,' it said. 'As per NIA investigations, 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.' In the 2023 LeT prison radicalisation case, the NIA has already chargesheeted nine accused. They include absconder 'Junaid Ahmed, under various sections of IPC and UA(P) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act in the case. Investigations and efforts to track the absconder are continuing.'
