Hyderabad terror conspiracy case: NIA files chargesheet against 3 LeT operatives

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday, March 29, filed a chargesheet against three operatives of terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the Hyderabad terror conspiracy case. The NIA filed the chargesheet against Mohd Abdul Wajid alias Zahed, Samiuddin alias Sami, and Maaz Hasan Farooq alias Maaz in a court in Hyderabad. They have been charged for their role in the terrorist conspiracy to raise funds, collect explosives and carry out recruitments into the LeT.

The NIA filed the chargesheet under sections 120B and 153A of the Indian Penal Code, sections 4, 5, 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and sections 13, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 39 of the UA(P)Act, 1967. The NIA had taken over investigations into the case in January 2023 from Hyderabad police.

According to the agency, its investigations revealed that Zahed, Sami and Maaz were in touch with Farhatulla Ghori, an 'individual terrorist' listed by the union government. Simultaneously, they were also in league with Siddiqui bin Osman alias Abu Hanzala, Abdul Majeed alias Chotu, and other LeT leaders and operatives. They had allegedly aimed to carry out bomb blasts at crowded places in Hyderabad.

Ghori, Abu Hanzala, Abdul Majeed are based in Pakistan. Ghori recruited Zahed from cyberspace and sent funds to him through hawala channels. Zahed was tasked to recruit more persons into LeT and to carry out terrorist acts, the NIA alleged. Sami, Maaz and Mohammed Kaleem were instigated and prodded by Zahed to work for the LeT, the NIA said.

According to the central agency, four hand-grenades were  dead dropped at an isolated spot near Manoharabad village on Hyderabad-Nagpur highwat on September 28, 2022. Zahed got the hand-grenade consignment collected through Sami and then gave one grenade each to Sami and Maaz with instructions to hurl the same at public gatherings during Dasara festival. However, they were arrested before the planned attacks.

The grenades were recovered from their possession during search of their houses. An amount of Rs 20 lakh was also seized from Zahed, the NIA said.