New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists on Thursday.
A statement of NIA issued here said that following investigations into the Udhampur IED blast case by the LeT through their Pakistan-based handlers, NIA filed a chargesheet against the 2 LeT terrorists Muhammad Aslam Sheikh alias Adil and Muhammad Amin Bhat alias Abu Khubaib and Pinna.
The statement said that they had been charged for their efforts towards revival of terrorist activities in Jammu by carrying out recruitments from the pool of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and surrendered terrorists and activating and motivating them to carry out terrorist acts.
It said that the NIA had taken over investigations into the case on November 15, 2022, from the J&K Police.
The statement said that the NIA investigations revealed that Sheikh was in touch with Bhat, an “individual terrorist” of the LeT listed by the Government of India, who was now operating from Pakistan.
It said that Bhat recruited Sheikh to carry out the two IED blasts on buses parked in the public areas of Udhampur district, which had inflicted injuries to two persons.
The NIA statement said that Bhat was initially a resident of Doda district and in 1997 had joined the terrorist ranks of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and was involved in the execution of various terrorist acts in J&K.
It said that he escaped to Pakistan in 2009 and was presently an active LeT handler who was playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities in Jammu region.
The statement said that Sheikh collected the explosives consignment delivered by Bhat’s associates from across the border in Kathua sector.
It said that Bhat used drones and a dead-drop method for this delivery.
The NIA statement said that Bhat trained Sheikh in cyberspace on how to prime the IEDs.
It said that on September 28, Sheikh planted two IEDs in two different buses, which were plying between Basnatgarh and Udhampur.
The statement said that one blast took place around midnight on September 28 and the other in the early hours of September 29.
It said that after his arrest, Sheikh made disclosures about hoarding of explosives for future attacks.
The NIA statement said that two more IEDs, three sticky bombs, three detonators, and two PTD timers were recovered from Sheikh’s residence.
It said that these were part of the consignment that was delivered from Pakistan.
The statement said that the NIA unravelled all these facts and filed a chargesheet against Sheikh and Bhat under Sections 120-B, 121-A, 122, 307, and 407 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908, and Sections 16, 18, 18-B, 20, 23, 38, and 39 of the UA (P) Act, 1967.
