NIA arrests suspect in LeT conspiracy

Was held at Mumbai airport and brought to Bengaluru

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a terror suspect in the case of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s (LeT) criminal conspiracy of 2012 to kill prominent religious persons, journalists and police officials in Bengaluru and Hubballi.

The accused, Asadullah Khan, 57, alias Asad Khan alias Abu Sufiyan was arrested by the Saudi Arabia officials nine months ago and was deported on Tuesday on the request of the NIA.

Produced before court

The NIA arrested Khan at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday and produced him before the special court for NIA cases in Bengaluru. The court has remanded him in the police custody.
The NIA, which took over the assassination plot case from Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB), had submitted the charge sheet in 2013, naming  Asadullah the 24th accused.

According to the charge sheet, the accused held two conspiracy meetings at Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia to carry out target killings of prominent Hindu leaders, journalists, politicians and police officers from Bengaluru and Hubballi.

Charge sheets

The NIA has so far filed five supplementary charge sheets in the case. The case is under trial and Asadullah will be questioned on the larger conspiracy of LeT’s plots to carry out terror activities in the country. The NIA has pressed charges against 14 persons, while the remaining accused are absconding.