Page 3 - National Investigation Agency Nia

2008 Malegaon blast: Special NIA court likely to give judgment on July 31

A Special NIA court here on Thursday said it will likely give the judgment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case on July 31, noting that the matter has voluminous documents and it needs some time to deliver the verdict. Almost 17 years after the blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had on April 19 reserved the verdict for May 8. However, Special Judge A K Lahoti, presiding over the case, kept it for the next date. The judge told the accused persons, present in the court, that the case has voluminous documents, and it will take some time to pass the judgment. He asked all the accused in the case to be present on July 31, the next date. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. During the trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses, of whom 34 turned hostile. Lt Col Prasad Purohit, BJP leader Pragya Thakur, M

TRF head Sheikh Sajjad Gul identified as mastermind behind Pahalgam attack

Sheikh Sajjad Gul, a 50-year-old Kashmiri and head of Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), has emerged as the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22, officials said Wednesday. Holed up in the Cantonment town of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, under the patronage of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Gul, who also goes by the alias of Sajjad Ahmed Sheikh, has been a planner of a number of terror attacks, including targeted killings between 2020 and 2024 in Central and South Kashmir, grenade attacks in Central Kashmir in 2023, ambush of J&K police personnel in Bijbehra in Anantnag, Gagangir, Z-Morh Tunnel attack in Ganderbal. The NIA had designated him a terrorist in April 2022 and kept a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. The official said that during the investigation into the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack, links and some communications have been traced back to Gul. The TRF had claimed responsibility for the attack. The

26/11 attack: NIA to record Tahawwur Rana's voice, handwriting samples

A Delhi court has allowed the NIA to collect the voice and handwriting samples of 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a source said. Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Judge Chander Jit Singh, who on April 28 extended Rana's custody for 12 days, passed the order on April 30 on an application moved by the agency. Rana, a close associate of 26/11 main conspirator David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen, was brought to India after the US Supreme Court on April 4 dismissed his review plea against his extradition to India. On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage, carrying out a coordinated attack on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre, after they sneaked into India's financial capital using the sea route. As many as 166 people were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault.

26/11 Mumbai attacks: Court extends Tahawwur Rana's custody for 12 days

Rana was brought to the Patiala House Court in Delhi on Monday amid tight security

NIA probes Pak-backed arms, drug smuggling by Khalistani operatives

The NIA has conducted extensive searches at multiple locations across Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and other states in a case linked to Pakistan-backed cross-border smuggling of arms and narcotics by Khalistani operatives, the agency said Friday. Several electronic devices and other incriminating materials were recovered during the searches, conducted on Thursday at 18 locations in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka, a statement by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. NIA teams are examining the seized items to unravel the entire conspiracy behind the smuggling and the radicalisation of individuals in Punjab, J-K and other parts of India. The searches were conducted on Thursday at the premises of suspected individuals connected to Pakistan-based entities in the case registered by the anti-terror agency on December 20, 2024. The suspects under the scanner are aligned with the ideology of proscribed unlawful associations/ terrorist ...

NIA chargesheets 5 accused in ISIS-inspired Coimbatore car bomb blast case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday chargesheeted five more people in the ISIS-inspired Coimbatore car bomb explosion case of 2022, an official statement said. In its fourth supplementary chargesheet in the case, the NIA has charged Sheikh Hidayathullah, Umar Faaruq, Pavas Rahman, Sharan Mariappan and Aboo Hanifa for their involvement in terror financing and other activities linked with the terror attack that had targeted a Hindu temple, Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil, in Coimbatore, it said. With this, a total of 17 accused have been chargesheeted in the case so far, it said. In its latest chargesheet, the NIA has filed a fresh set of terror financing charges against Sheikh Hidayathullah and Umar Faaruq. The duo was chargesheeted earlier for other offences in the case, said the statement issued by the probe agency. The two orchestrated a fake Covid vaccine certificate scam in 2021-2022 and used the funds to procure materials for explosives and other ...

Calcutta HC orders deployment of central forces in violence-hit Murshidabad

Holding that it cannot turn a blind eye to reports of vandalism in a few districts of West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday ordered deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Murshidabad district, which has been hit by violence allegedly linked to ongoing protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The court said this direction will not be limited to Murshidabad district only and "as and when required it should be extended to other districts faced with similar situation" and central forces may be deployed immediately to arrest the situation and bring normalcy. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the various reports that have surfaced which prima facie shows vandalism in few districts of the State of West Bengal," a division bench presided by Justice Soumen Sen said. The court noted that apart from Murshidabad, incidents have been reported from Amtala in South 24 Parganas district, in North 24 Parganas district and at Champdani in Hooghly. At least three people were ..

Tahawwur Rana likely plotted attacks like 26/11 across India: NIA to court

Over the next 18 days, the NIA will grill Rana to uncover the full 2008 Mumbai attack conspiracy that left 166 dead and over 230 injured

High-security cell, tight watch: Inside NIA's custody of Tahawwur Rana

Extradited from the US, 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana is now held in a NIA cell in Delhi under 24x7 surveillance; Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jaya Roy will lead the investigation

NIA gets 18 days custody of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana after extradition

A 12-member team led by NIA Deputy Inspector General Jaya Roy, who played a key role in bringing Rana to India, is now handling his interrogation

26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana in 18 day NIA custody, brought to headquarters

According to the NIA, Rana was being held in judicial custody in the US pursuant to proceedings initiated under the India-US Extradition Treaty for his extradition

NIA arrests Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana after extradition from US

The NIA investigation team at the airport arrested Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin living primarily in Chicago

Meet 26/11 Mumbai hero Sadanand Date, leading Tahawwur Rana's questioning

Date is not just any officer - he was one of the first responders during the Mumbai attacks and was badly injured while trying to stop the terrorists

NIA searches multiple locations linked with Khalistani terrorist Goldy Brar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday searched multiple locations, linked with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, across Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The premises belonging to suspects and accused associated with Canada-based terrorist Brar and US-based gangster Randeep Malik were searched in connection with the agency's probe in the December 2024 grenade attacks at Warehouse Club and Human Club at Sector-29 in Gurugram. "Several electronic and other incriminating materials were recovered during the searches conducted at eight locations in various districts of the two states this morning," a statement issued by the NIA said. The material is being examined by the NIA for clues to unravel the conspiracy behind the bombing incident, in which arms, ammunition and explosives were seized from the accused involved in the attacks, it said. Soon after the attacks, gangster Rohit Godara had taken responsibility through a social media po

NIA arrests key accused involved in human trafficking to US via dunki route

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key accused allegedly involved in sending a man illegally to the US via the infamous 'dunki' route. The term 'dunki', believed to have originated from the word "donkey", refers to an illegal pathway that immigrants take to enter countries like the United States without proper documentation. Their risky and arduous travel is usually facilitated by a human-trafficking syndicate. Accused Gagandeep Singh alias Goldie, a resident of west Delhi's Tilak Nagar, has been arrested by the NIA, an official statement said on Sunday. Goldie was allegedly paid around Rs 45 lakh by a victim from Punjab's Tarn Taran district for illegal immigration, it said. The victim was sent to the US via the 'dunki' route in December 2024, the statement issued by the NIA said. He was deported to India by US authorities on February 15 and had thereafter filed a complaint against the accused "agent". The case was originally registered by the Punjab Police a

Delhi court seeks NIA response after Engineer Rashid seeks to attend Parl

Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its reply by March 5 on Rashid's plea

Speed up decision on Engineer Rashid's bail plea: Delhi HC to NIA court

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the court hearing cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to expeditiously decide the bail plea of jailed J&K MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case. Justice Vikas Mahajan said, "The ASJ-03, Patiala House Court is requested to dispose of the bail application of the petitioner expeditiously." The court was dealing with Rashid's plea alleging there was no remedy available after the NIA court, dealing with his bail application, left him in limbo post him becoming member of Parliament (MP). Justice Mahajan observed a direction was passed by the high court on the administrative side clarifying that the NIA court would continue to hear the case. In view of the development, Rashid's counsel sought to withdraw the plea from the high court. The Baramulla MP is facing trial in a terror funding case with the allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. He was elected from the ...

NIA arrests 3 men for leaking sensitive defence information to Pakistan

The NIA has arrested three men for leaking sensitive information to Pakistan-based intelligence operatives, the anti-terror federal agency said on Wednesday. They were sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at Karwar Naval Base and Kochi Naval Base, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement. While Vethan Laxman Tandel and Akshay Ravi Naik were picked up from Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, Abhilash P A was arrested from Kochi in Kerala, the agency said. All three accused persons arrested on Tuesday with the assistance of local police were found to have been in contact with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) through social media, it said. As per NIA investigations, they were sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at Karwar Naval Base and Kochi Naval Base and were receiving money from PIOs in exchange for the information. A total of eight people have been arrested so far in the case, including these .

Delhi HC issues notice to registrar general on bail plea of Rashid Engineer

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to its registrar general on the issue of designation of a court to hear the bail plea of Jammu and Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer in a terror funding case. Justice Vikas Mahajan was hearing Rashid's petition alleging that he had been left without any remedy after the NIA court dealing with his bail application left him in a limbo post his election to the Lok Sabha last year on account of it not being a special MP-MLA court. Counsel for the NIA opposed Rashid's plea seeking interim bail to attend the ongoing Parliament session, and said he had no such "right" as a parliamentarian. The counsel, however, said the registrar general has filed an application in the Supreme Court to seek a clarification on the issue of designation of a court. The court was also told that in November last year, the agency had also made a representation to the registrar general on the issue of designation of the NIA court as a court which could hear MP/MLA cases. "

HC seeks NIA's stand on J-K MP Rashid Engineer's plea in terror case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of the NIA on Jammu and Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer's plea on the issue of granting him bail in a terror-funding case. Justice Vikas Mahajan asked the agency to file its response and listed the matter for further hearing on January 30. Senior counsel appearing for the lawmaker argued that his bail plea has been pending in the lower court for a considerable time and urged the high court to either direct its expeditious disposal or decide the matter itself. "Issue notice. Let reply/ status report be filed," the high court said. On December 24 last year, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed Rashid's plea urging him to pronounce the verdict on his pending bail application. The trial judge said at the present stage he could only decide the miscellaneous application and not the regular bail plea. The case was sent back to the ASJ by the district judge for hearing. The ASJ court requested the district judge to transfer t