The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday filed a chargesheet in connection with an alleged conspiracy of the Hizbul Mujahideen to carry out an attack in Uttar Pradesh in 2018, the agency said.
In its chargesheetfiled in a special court in Lucknow, the NIA charged Kamruj Zaman of Assam andabsconding accused Osama Bin Javed of Jammu and Kashmir under IPC sectionsrelated to criminal conspiracy among others and stringent sections of UnlawfulActivities Prevention Act.
The Uttar Pradesh Police booked Zaman on September 12 lastyear for hatching a criminal conspiracy to carry out attacks by HizbulMujahideen cadres at different places in the state. It was later taken up bythe NIA.
“Investigation has established that Zaman and Javed hadjoined HM and were imparted nine months weapon training (June 2017 – March2018) by two cadres of terror group Mohammad Amin and Hajari in the jungles ofdistrict Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir,” the NIA spokesperson said.
After completing training, Zaman was directed to set uphideouts and select targets in Uttar Pradesh and Assam for attacks, he alleged.
“On 8 April 2018, a photograph of Zaman brandishing anautomatic AK-47 rifle emerged on social media, which was posted by Mannan Wani,a slain terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen, on his Facebook account,” he said.
Fearing arrest, Zaman escaped to Bangladesh but remained inconstant touch with Javed and and Riyaz Naikoo, Hizbul Mujahideen’s operationalcommander in Kashmir, over BBM chat application, the agency alleged.
In the first week ofAugust 2018, he returned to India and stayed in Assam for some time, thespokesperson alleged.
On 25 August 2018, on directions of Javed and Riyaz Naikoo,Zaman proceeded to Kanpur where he carried out reconnaissance of a few templesto carry out attacks, the spokesperson claimed.
He was also trying to collect arms and explosives to carry out terror activities, he said.