NIA files chargesheet against LeT operative Sheikh Abdul Naeem, 9 others

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency on Friday filed a chargesheet against Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Sheikh Abdul Naeem and nine others for conspiring to revive the activities of LeT in India and carry out major attacks on the directions of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia-based handlers.
Those named in the chargesheet include Naeem, a resident of Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Bedar Bakht from Bihar, Towseef Ahmad Malik from Pulwama (Kashmir), two Muzzafarnagar-based jewelers Dinesh Garg and Adish Jain, a Pakistani national Amzad, one Mohammad Imran from Muzzafarnagar and three operatives based in Saudi Arabia– Habib-ur-Tahman, Gul Nawaz and Javed Ahmed.
Naeem was caught in November last year after his escape from police custody in 2014.
A NIA spokesperson said that Naeem has been receiving funds from the main operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) based in Pakistan and UAE for terrorist activities in India and was using the same to establish hideouts, recruit people for LeT and to do reconnaissance of targets in India.
He said that after his escape in 2014, Naeem remained in telephonic (voice and VOIP calls) and internet (Nimbuz) contacts with his handlers of LeT including Abdullah Rashid alias Wali of Faisalabad, Pakistan.
“Naeem established hideouts at various places including Varanasi, Gopalganj, Cuttack and Delhi with the help of co-accused persons namely Bedar Bakht and Towseef Ahmad Malik. They helped him with shelter, logistics, mobile phones and SIMs. They also received, collected and raised funds for Naeem and facilitated in assuming a fake identity as Sohel Khan,” said NIA Spokesperson.
Naeem also visited Kashmir during May-June, 2017 where he contacted active Pakistani LeT terrorists Abu Maaz and Abu Muslim and stayed at the home of accused Towseef Ahmad Malik in Chandgam, Pulwama on many occasions.
“He introduced himself to accused Towseef Ahmad Malik as Hamid, resident of Pakistan. Naeem motivated Towseef to work for the LeT,” he said.
“On the instructions of his LeT handlers, Naeem carried out reconnaissance of hotels, restaurants and other places frequented by the Jews, Israeli tourists, at and around Tosh, and Kasol at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh for carrying out jihadi activities. He recorded the videos of these places on his mobile and typed coded messages on his mobile to be sent to his handlers in Pakistan,” NIA said.