Jammu Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed
JAMMU, September 12:
A special NIA court headed by judge Prem Sagar has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against India’s most wanted terrorist Muhammad Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Jamaat ud Dawah and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit.
Saeed was the mastermind behind 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed nearly 170 people and left several others injured.
It was second second such non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Saeed in two months in connection with a terror case related to the supply of weapons, funds, and directions to terror groups operating in the Union Territory.
The court was hearing an application filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking an NBW against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder and designated terrorist under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The application described Saeed, a resident of Sargodha in Punjab (Pakistan), as an “absconding accused” in a case related to the arrest of Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat during a check at Pandach on the outskirts of Srinagar earlier in the year.
A China-made grenade and 15 live rounds were recovered from Bhat, a resident of Batpora.
Bhat was booked at Zakoora Police Station under the UAPA, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.
The subsequent investigation led to the busting of a terror network, leading to the arrest of several more terrorists associated with LeT and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), and two Pakistani nationals.
The NIA said the involvement of Saeed, the “Amir/Chief/Founder” of the proscribed terror group, came to light during the investigation, with the arrested Pakistani terrorists allegedly found to be associated with him.
“Saeed is operating from Pakistan and providing weapons, money and directions to terrorists operating in the Kashmir Valley. The information is gathered that the said terrorist at present is in Pakistan and deliberately evading his arrest to escape the clutches of law,” the NIA told the court.
After hearing the agency, Special Judge under the NIA Act Prem Sagar on September 8 observed that Saeed’s involvement had surfaced during the investigation and that he was “allegedly involved in terrorism.” The court noted that he was at large and that the investigating agency had not been able to secure his attendance “in the ordinary manner,” and issued a general non-bailable warrant against Saeed.
The latest warrant is the second non-bailable warrant issued against the LeT founder by the Special NIA Court in Jammu in two months.