The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday arrested three persons, including a prison psychiatrist and a City Armed Reserve ASI, following extensive searches in two districts of Karnataka in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) prison radicalisation case of 2023.
The arrested persons have been identified as Dr Nagaraj, psychiatrist, Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru, and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Chan Pasha and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused.
During the searches conducted at five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar district, various digital devices, cash, gold and incriminating documents were seized from the houses of the arrested accused and other suspects, the NIA said.
The case pertains 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 with the aim of furthering the nefarious agenda of LeT.
Dr Nagaraj, psychiatrist of Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused. (Express Photo)
The NIA said Dr Nagaraj was smuggling mobile phones for prison inmates including Thadiyantavide Nazeer, a life-term convict in terror cases lodged in Central Prison, Bengaluru. Nagaraj was supported by one Pavithra, the agency said.
Besides houses of Nagaraj and Pavithra, the NIA also searched the house of Anees Fathima, mother of Junaid Ahmed, who, according to the NIA, passed instructions from Nazeer to her son for raising funds and handing over the same to Nazeer in prison.
The ASI, Chan Pasha, passed information related to T Naseer’s escort from prison to various courts in exchange of money in 2022, the agency said.
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The NIA has already filed a chargesheet against nine accused, including Junaid Ahmed, under various Sections of the IPC and UA(P) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act in the case. Efforts to track the key accused, who is said to be living abroad, are continuing, the NIA said.
The case
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru city police in July 2023 raided a house in Kodigehalli, based on a tip-off. The police then seized seven country-made pistols, 45 live bullets, walkie-talkies and some documents. The probe revealed that the radicalisation was being carried out inside the prison. The case was later handed over to the NIA.