Page 4 - National Investigation Agency Nia

NIA files charge sheet against trafficking gang sending Indians to Laos

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against members of a human trafficking gang that was sending Indians to Laos to work in cyber crime sweatshops run by Chinese scammers targeting European and American citizens, officials said on Thursday. The agency filed its charge sheet before a special court on Wednesday against gang members Manjoor Alam alias Guddu, Sahil, Ashish alias Akhil, Pawan Yadav alias Afzal alias Afroz, along with the key conspirator, Kamran Haider alias Zaidi. "NIA investigations have revealed that all five were involved in trafficking vulnerable Indian youth to the Golden Triangle Region in Lao PDR where they were forced to commit cyber scams targeting European and American citizens. They operated through the consultancy firm, Ali International Services, which functioned as a front for human trafficking," an NIA spokesperson said in a statement. According to the agency's investigation, Zaidi facilitated the entire operation and extorted

Reasi bus terror attack: NIA searches underway in two districts of J-K

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday launched searches at multiple places in Rajouri and Reasi districts as part of its investigation into the deadly terror attack in June on a bus carrying pilgrims who were returning from Shiv Khori temple, officials said. Nine persons, including seven pilgrims from outside Jammu and Kashmir, were killed and 41 injured when terrorists opened fire at the bus on June 9. The bus, on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to Katra, veered off the road following a barrage of gunfire and fell into a deep gorge near Teryath village of Pouni area in Reasi. On June 17, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the terror attack case to the NIA. One person, Hakam Khan of Rajouri, who allegedly provided food, shelter and logistics to the terrorists besides helping them recce the area before the attack, has been arrested in connection with the case so far. Officials said multiple NIA teams are carrying out searches in Rajouri and Reasi districts in

NIA conducts raids across Punjab in terrorist Gurpatwant Pannun's case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at four locations in Punjab on Friday as part of its probe in a terror-conspiracy case involving designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a banned organisation associated with him. NIA teams swooped down at one location in Moga, two locations in Bathinda and one location in Mohali, at premises connected with suspects in the case, an official statement said. The searches led to the seizure of various incriminating materials, including digital devices, which are under examination, it added. The case relates to a conspiracy allegedly hatched by Pannun with other members of the SFJ, the statement issued by the NIA said. "The NIA on Friday conducted searches at four locations across Punjab in a case related to the promotion of terror-related activities and violence by SFJ leader Gurupatwant Singh Pannun," it added. The agency had registered the case against Pannun and the SFJ on November 17,

Rameshwaram Cafe blast: NIA chargesheets 4, says BJP office first target

The NIA on Monday chargesheeted four men in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case and said the accused were involved in a "failed IED attack" at the Bengaluru BJP office on the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It said two of the key accused were ISIS (banned terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) radicals who used fraudulently obtained "Indian SIM cards and Indian bank accounts" besides "various Indian and Bangladeshi Identity documents downloaded from the dark web (which is accessible only through specialised browsers) in carrying out their nefarious activities. In a charge sheet filed before a court in Bengaluru, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef, as accused. All of them were arrested earlier and are currently in judicial custody in the case, a statement issued by the NIA said. Taaha and Shazib were funded by their handler through ...

NIA arrests key accused in TN Hizb-ut-Tharir case from Bengaluru airport

As per NIA investigations, the accused had conducted secret Bayaans, where many participants, particularly gullible youth, were radicalised

Delhi HC denies interim bail to PFI leader OMA Salam in UAPA case

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to grant interim bail to Popular Front of India (PFI) leader OMA Salam, arrested in a case registered under the anti-terror law UAPA against the banned organisation and its members. A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma rejected Salam's plea seeking a release for two weeks and said no case was made out for grant of interim bail. The present plea is dismissed, the bench said. Salam had sought two weeks' interim bail on the ground that his daughter passed away in April and his wife was now in a "depressive state". Salam, the chairman of the PFI, was arrested by anti-terror agency NIA during a massive crackdown on the banned organisation in 2022. According to the National Investigation Agency, the PFI, its officer bearers and members hatched a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for committing acts of terror in various parts of the country and were conducting camps to indoctrinate and train their cadres for this purpose. Preceding

NIA conducts searches in Punjab in VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar murder case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday carried out searches in Punjab in connection with its probe into the murder of VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar. Prabhakar alias Vikas Bagga was shot dead in his confectionary shop in Nangal in Punjab's Roopnagar district on April 13. He was the Nangal president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The NIA took over the case from the state police on May 9. Searches were being carried out in the Vikas Prabhakar's murder case, an NIA spokesperson said. Details about the searches were not immediately known. Dharminder Kumar alias Kunal (22), who had supplied the illegal arms and ammunition used in the high-profile murder, was recently arrested from Punjab's Ludhiana by the NIA in a coordinated operation with the Delhi Police Special Cell. NIA investigations have revealed that he had procured the illegal arms and ammunition from Madhya Pradesh, and had supplied these to the shooters on the directions of foreign-based Khalistani terrorist ...

NIA conducts searches across 7 states to probe leakage of defence secrets

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted searches at locations across seven states to probe the case of classified defence information leakage through a Pakistani espionage racket, according to an official statement issued on Thursday. The premises searched on Wednesday by NIA teams were linked with suspects who had received money from Pakistan to undertake spying activities in India, it said. "Extensive searches were conducted at 16 locations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana in the case related to leakage of classified defence information through a Pakistani ISI espionage racket," the NIA statement said. Twenty-two mobile phones and a host of sensitive documents were seized during the searches conducted by the NIA, which had in July 2023 taken over the instant case, originally registered in January 2021 by the counter-intelligence cell of Andhra Pradesh. The case involved the leakage of sensitive vital information pertaining t

Delhi court seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's bail application

A Delhi court has sought the National Investigation Agency's response on an application filed by jailed Kashmiri parliamentarian Rashid Engineer seeking regular bail. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. He defeated former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in Baramulla in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh issued notice to the NIA on August 20 and directed it to file its response by August 28. The court had earlier granted Rashid custody parole to take the oath of office on July 5. Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged terror funding case. He is at present lodged in Tihar jail. The former MLA's name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and ..

'Bail is rule, jail exception' for offences even under special statutes: SC

The legal principle 'Bail is rule, jail is an exception' is applicable to offences even under special statutes like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled while granting bail to a man accused under the stringent anti-terror law. A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said if courts start denying bail in deserving cases, it will be a violation of fundamental rights. "Allegations of the prosecution may be very serious, but it is court's duty to consider the case for bail in accordance with law. Bail is the rule and jail is the exception applies even to special statutes. If courts start denying bail in deserving cases, it will be a violation of rights guaranteed under Article 21," the bench said while pronouncing its judgement. The verdict came while releasing a man named Jalaluddin Khan on bail. Khan was booked under the stringent provisions of the UAPA and other sections of now defunct Indian Penal Code for renting out upper .

Elgar Parishad case: SC denies interim bail to jailed activist Jyoti Jagtap

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant interim bail to activist Jyoti Jagtap, who is in jail in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A bench comprising justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar also adjourned the hearing on the main bail plea of the activist. "We are not inclined to give interim bail", Justice Subdresh said. Jagtap has moved the apex court challenging the October 17, 2022 order of the high court that refused to grant her bail, saying the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) case against her was "prima facie true" and that she was part of a "larger conspiracy" hatched by the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. The high court had said Jagtap was an active member of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) group, which during its stage play at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017 gave not only "aggressive, but highly provocative slogans". The 2017 Elgar Parishad conclave was held at Shaniwarwada, an 18th-century palace-fort located in the hear

HC judge recuses himself from plea seeking death penalty for Yasin Malik

Delhi High Court judge Amit Sharma on Thursday recused himself from hearing a plea by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking death penalty for separatist leader Yasin Malik in a terror funding case. The matter was listed before a division bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh after a change in the roster of judges dealing with such cases. "List before another bench, of which Justice Sharma is not a member, on August 9," Justice Singh said. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief, who is currently serving a life term in the case, was virtually present for the the court proceedings from the Tihar jail here. The court directed that he will appear virtually on the next date as well. On May 29 last year, the high court had issued a notice to Malik on the NIA's plea seeking death penalty for him in the terror funding case and had sought his presence before it on the next date. Subsequently, jail authorities had filed an application seeking permission for his virtual ..

NIA agrees to let Engineer Rashid take oath as MP, court order on July 2

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday gave its consent for jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Engineer Rashid, to take oath as MP on July 25. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh will pass an order on the plea on Tuesday. Rashid, the MP from Baramulla who has been arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, had moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. A special court here on June 22 had adjourned the matter and asked the NIA to file its response. On Monday, the NIA's counsel said Rashid's oath taking be subject to some conditions like not speaking to the media. He also said Rashid must complete everything within a day. Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in a terror funding case. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

NIA arrests key operative linked with Canada-based Khalistani terrorist

A key operative linked with a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist was on Thursday arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during its multi-state searches. The accused, identified as Jaspreet Singh, was held from Ferozepur district in Punjab, the NIA said in a statement. The probe agency seized one 32 bore revolver, 69 cartridges of various bores, 100 gm heroin, 100 gm opium, Rs 2,20,500 cash and various digital devices from Jaspreet, who was found to be associated with foreign based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, it said. "Cracking down on proscribed terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), the NIA on Thursday conducted multi-state searches and arrested a key operative linked with designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa," the statement said. Premises connected with 10 suspects were searched on Thursday by the NIA teams across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab, leading to the arrest of Jaspreet, it added. NIA had registered a case on Ju

NIA to investigate Reasi bus terror attack, to probe larger conspiracy

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has assumed control of the investigation into the Reasi bus attack and filed its own FIR on Sunday

Reasi terror attack on bus: Home Ministry hands over probe to NIA

The Union Home Ministry on Monday handed over the probe into the recent terror attack on a bus in Jammu and Kashmir to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials said. Nine people, including three women were killed, and 41 injured as a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi plunged into a deep gorge after an ambush by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on June 9. The terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus when it was en route from Shiv Khori temple to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra. The investigation into the June 9 terror attack on a bus in Jammu and Kashmir has been handed over to the NIA, an official said. The decision came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and preparations for the annual Amarnath yatra in two back-to-back meetings here. The meetings were called in the wake of the terror attack on the bus in Reasi district and a few other terror incidents in the Uni

NIA searches multiple sites in Punjab linked to aides of Goldy Brar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at various locations linked to the associates of Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar in Punjab as part of its probe in an "extortion and firing case". The anti-terror agency also sought people's help for information about Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar and his gang, according to an official statement. A total of nine locations associated with Brar and his aides were searched by the NIA teams in connection with an extortion and firing case registered in Chandigarh, it said. The searches come a day after the NIA filed a charge sheet against Brar and 11 others for their alleged involvement in the killing of Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi last year in Jaipur. The NIA has also released telephone numbers, where people can share information about the terrorist and his associates or details of any threat calls they might have received from the gang. The information can be shared on landline number 0172-26829

Karni Sena chief murder case: NIA chargesheets Goldy Brar, 11 others

The NIA on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar and 11 others for their alleged involvement in the killing of Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi last year, according to an official statement. Brar has been designated a terrorist by the government under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has been involved in the smuggling of high-grade arms, ammunition and explosive materials through drones from across the border, supplying them for carrying out killings and also providing sharpshooters. According to the statement, NIA investigations have revealed the involvement of the notorious terrorist-gangster syndicate behind the killing of Gogamedi, who was shot dead in the living room of his house in Shyam Nagar colony in Jaipur in December 2023. Two others -- Naveen Shekhawat and Ajeet Singh -- were killed while Gogamedi's gunman Narender Singh was injured in the attack. Moving swiftly with its investigations in the ca

NIA chargesheets 17 hardcore ISIS operatives involved in radicalisation

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday chargesheeted 17 hardcore agents of the proscribed global terrorist organisation ISIS for being part of a conspiracy involving radicalisation of youth and fabrication of improvised explosive devices, according to an official statement. The NIA had originally chargesheeted three persons in March 2023 and filed its supplementary chargesheet before the special court at Patiala House in New Delhi on Monday against 17 others, of whom 15 are from Maharashtra and one each from Uttarakhand and Haryana, it said. This takes the total number of accused chargesheeted in the case, which had exposed global linkages with foreign handlers, to 20, said the statement issued by the federal probe agency. The accused, chargesheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act, "were found to have been engaged in a massive ISIS conspiracy involving recruitment, training and ..

Key accused in trafficking of Bangladeshis, Rohingyas into India arrested

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested a wanted accused involved in trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India through the north-eastern borders. Jalil Miah, a resident of the north-eastern state of Tripura, has been arrested by the NIA team, an official statement said. The NIA had in February declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Jalil, who was absconding in the case, in addition to nine others. As per the NIA investigations, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are being trafficked to India every month through the porous stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border. They are further transported to different parts of the country and provided fake documents and forced into labour, said the statement issued by the probe agency. "In yet another success in its fight against human traffickers operating across the country, the NIA on Tuesday arrested a key conspirator in a case relating to ...