NIA files supplementary charge sheet in 2019 Banihal attack case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday filed a supplementary charge sheet against Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu before a special court in Jammu for an attempted attack on CRPF convoy in Banihal area of Jammu in March 2019.

On March 30, 2019, Hizbul Mujahideen operative Owais Amin tried to ram explosives-laden Santro car into the CRPF convoy at Banihal on the pattern of February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack. However, no damage or casualty was caused except for minor damage to one of the buses as the explosion occurred prematurely.

A spokesperson of the NIA the probe agency filed a supplementary charge sheet in the case in Special NIA Court in Jammu against Naveed Mushtaq Shah alias Naveed Babu alias Babur Azam. The NIA had earlier filed a charge sheet against six Hizbul militants for their role in the attack.

“Accused Naveed is an ex-constable of J&K Police. He had decamped with arms and ammunition in 2017, when he was posted as a guard in FCI, Budgam. After deserting the force he joined Hizbul Mujahideen and became an active militant,” he said.

“Investigation has established that accused Naveed was actively involved in the planning and execution of the attack on the CRPF convoy in Banihal along with other militants Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, Rayees Ahmed Khan and Dr Saifullah Mir who were subsequently killed in encounters with security forces,” the spokesperson added.

The deceased militants Sahil Abdullah Bhat, Adil Bashir Sheikh and Zubair Ahmed Wani were actively involved in the preparation of the explosives that went into the making of the IED, he said.