Court frames terror charges against Pak national

A Delhi court today framed charges against a Pakistani national, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative who was arrested along with others for allegedly conspiring to kidnap businessmen from various places to raise funds to carry out terror strikes in the capital.
Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh formally framed charges against Arshad Khan after he was produced before the court here through video conferencing from Kolkata Jail.
Khan, who is lodged in Kolkata Jail in connection with shoe baron Partha Roy Burman kidnapping case of 2001, was not produced before the court here on January 19 when the judge had framed charges against four other co-accused in the case.

After framing charges against Khan for alleged offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under sections 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the court has now posted the matter for recording of prosecution evidence on April 1.
Section 18 of UAPA pertains to punishment for conspiracy, while section 20 relates to punishment for being a member of terrorist organisation.
The court had on January 19 formally framed charges against Mohd Shahid, Mohd Rashid, Abdul Subhan and his nephew Ashabuddin in connection with the case.

Shahid and Rashid were arrested in December 2013 from Mewat region in Haryana by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. Police had named both of them in a charge sheet filed in May 2014 for the alleged offences.

Later, Subhan, Ashabuddin and Khan were arrested in the case and a supplementary charge sheet was filed against them.
In its charge sheet, police had alleged that Subhan was the main conspirator and had entered into a conspiracy with others to carry out terrorist acts in Delhi.
It had claimed that Subhan was in touch with wanted LeT man Javed Baluchi, who is based in Pakistan.
With the arrest of Rashid and Shahid, police had claimed to have unearthed a terror module of the LeT which was at an "advanced stage" of planning a major strike in Delhi.
Ashabuddin was arrested in the case after he was produced before the court here from Kolkata Jail where he is serving jail term for his role in the Burman kidnapping case.

Police had earlier claimed that Rashid had told the investigators about LeT's plan to execute a terror strike "on the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition".