NIA court sentences LeT terrorist to 10-year imprisonment in conspiracy case

The case pertained to a conspiracy hatched by the proscribed Pakistan-based terrorist organisation to commit attacks in different parts of India.

The special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday announced a 10-year jail sentence to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Saifullah Mansoor in connection with a conspiracy case.

Army sources said the unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Tangdhar sector, which was an attempt to push in terrorists into India under covering fire. (Hindustan Times/representative image)

The case pertained to a conspiracy hatched by the proscribed Pakistan-based terrorist organisation to commit attacks in different parts of India. According to NIA, Mansoor illegally infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with his two associates Abu Saad and Abu Darda as part of the instructions of their leaders for the conspiracy. He was arrested in August 2016 in Yahama Mukam village, in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the investigation, Mansoor gave investigators details about the training camps of LeT, how they are trained in handling weapons, explosives, wireless sets, night vision devices, GPS and grid reference. He also talked about the modus operandi for motivating the newly recruited cadres by the LeT, the NIA said. Mansoor also shared details of launching pads of the LeT in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Large number of arms viz. AK-47 Rifle, UBGL, ammunition, hand grenades, UBGL Shells, military map, wireless set, GPS, compass, Indian currency - both fake and real - were recovered from Mansoor during the arrest, the NIA said in a statement.

Chargesheet against Mansoor was filed in January 2017 and a month later, his associates were killed in an encounter in the Kupwara district. Zahoor Ahmad Peer and Nazir Ahmad Peer, residents of Jammu and Kashmir, also the supporters/associates of Mansoor were arrested in this case during investigation.

The special judge for NIA cases, Patiala High Court last week convicted Ali under sections 120B, 121A, 489(C) of IPC, sections 17,18,20,38 of UA(P) Act, sections 7,10 & 25 of Arms Act, section 9B Explosives Act, section 4 of Explosive Substances Act, section 14 Foreigners Act and section 6(1A) Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act,1933 and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for a decade including a fine.