NIA files charge sheet against 4 Jaish-e-Mohammed aides of Pulwama attack mastermind

The NIA on Wednesday filed a supplementary charge sheet against four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) aides of Pulwama attack mastermind in a case of conspiring terror acts across the country.

The NIA had last September filed a charge sheet claiming that JeM's Sajjad Ahmad Khan, a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmad Khan, was conspiring terror acts across India.

The supplementary charge sheet was filed against four JeM operatives under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 121 A (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India) of IPC, and various sections of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections of Explosives Substances Act.

The agency filed the charge sheet against Sajjad Ahmad Khan (27), Bilal Ahmad Mir (23), Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat (24) and Mehraj-ud-Din Chopan (22), all residents of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Investigation has established that the accused persons are members of proscribed terrorist organisation JeM, who were planning to carry out terrorist attacks and propagating the activities of JeM," the NIA said.

"The slain terrorist Mudassir Ahmad Khan was the mastermind behind this conspiracy. He was one of the main conspirators in Pulwama terror attack as well and was killed in encounter with police and security forces in Tral area of district Pulwama J&K on March 10, last year," the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

Charges were abated against Mudassir after he was killed in an encounter with the security forces in March, 2019, the NIA said in the final report.

According to the agency, Sajjad was directly in touch with Mudassir while Ishfaq was involved in transportation of Arms and ammunition for strengthening JeM in Kashmir and further harboured the operatives of JeM.

One hand grenade was recovered from possession of Mehraj-ud-din Chopan and it was procured with the intention of using the same against the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir for snatching their weapons.

This case pertains to a criminal conspiracy hatched by senior commanders of JeM to carry out terror attacks in different parts of India including Delhi-NCR.