New Delhi, Jan 2 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted three more accused in the 2023 Bengaluru prison radicalisation case linked to the proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
In its second supplementary charge sheet, the agency named Anees Fathima, Chan Pasha A, and Dr Nagaraj S. under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act), the Explosive Substances Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Karnataka Prisons Act.
The NIA, which took over the investigation from the local police in October 2023, had earlier chargesheeted nine accused in the case, including absconder Junaid Ahmed.
The case was originally registered by the Bengaluru City Police in July 2023 following the recovery of arms, ammunition, and digital devices from habitual offenders. Investigations revealed that the accused had allegedly planned to unleash terror in Bengaluru with the intention of disrupting India’s sovereignty and security.
The activities, aimed at promoting the interests of the LeT, were part of a larger conspiracy to facilitate the escape of T. Naseer, a life convict in multiple terror cases, while he was being escorted from prison to court. Naseer was an undertrial prisoner in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast cases at the time.
Among the three accused chargesheeted on Friday, Anees Fathima has been identified as the mother of the absconding accused Junaid Ahmed. According to the NIA, she provided logistical support and funds to T. Naseer inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, Bengaluru. She was also involved in handling hand grenades and walkie-talkies on her son’s instructions and facilitated communication between various accused.
NIA investigations further revealed her key role in harbouring the prime accused, Salman Khan, and helping him abscond to Dubai by arranging travel documents. Salman Khan was later extradited to India from the Republic of Rwanda.
The second accused, Chan Pasha A., an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the City Armed Reserve (South), Bengaluru City, allegedly received illegal gratification from Salman Khan in exchange for sharing sensitive information related to the escort details of T. Naseer. He had established contact with Naseer while on prisoner escort duty.
The third accused, Dr Nagaraj S., a psychiatrist on deputation at the Central Prisons Hospital, Parappana Agrahara, was found to have illegally smuggled mobile phones into the prison and sold them to inmates for cash. One of these phones had reached T. Naseer, who used it to communicate with his co-accused to conspire to promote the terror plot.
The NIA said investigations are ongoing and efforts are continuing to trace other absconders in the case, registered as RC-28/2023/NIA/DLI.
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