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Three accused in LeT-linked prison radicalisation case remanded to NIA custody
A special court has remanded three individuals to NIA custody for aiding a Lashkar-e-Taiba terror plot from Bengaluru's Central Prison.
A special court on Wednesday remanded three individuals to six days of custody with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked radicalisation and terror plot allegedly orchestrated from inside Bengaluru’s Central Prison.
The accused -- Dr Nagaraj, a psychiatrist at Parappana Agrahara prison, assistant sub-inspector Chand Pasha, and Anees Fathima, mother of absconding terror suspect Junaid Ahmed -- were arrested a day earlier after coordinated NIA raids across five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar.
According to the NIA, the trio were assisting LeT operative T Naseer, a life convict jailed for his role in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts. The agency has alleged that the accused helped smuggle mobile phones, leak transfer details, and deliver funds and messages to further LeT’s objectives from within the prison.
During the raids, digital devices, cash, gold, and incriminating documents were seized from the homes of the suspects.
Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that concerns over prison radicalisation had been flagged earlier by the state. “In 2023, we had informed them that some people were being radicalised. They had accessed certain information and manipulated or influenced a few individuals. As for what will happen next, or which direction the investigation will take, we do not know at this point,” he said.
When asked about further action, he added, “The central agencies are monitoring the situation. There may be addresses involved or other details that require deeper scrutiny. If anything else comes up, they will handle it. This is not necessarily related to terrorist activity, but since the digital traces are not limited to Bengaluru or Karnataka-- they could be linked to individuals outside the state or even abroad -- the central government is keeping a close watch and informing us.”
The case, first flagged in July 2023 by Bengaluru CCB after the seizure of seven pistols, four grenades, and four walkie-talkies, was later handed over to the NIA. The agency alleges that habitual offenders were being recruited by Naseer to carry out fidayeen-style attacks in Bengaluru and help smuggle weapons into prison. Some were even expected to assist in a potential prison break during Naseer’s court movements.
In January 2024, the NIA filed charges against eight individuals, including Naseer, Junaid Ahmed, and Salman Khan, under the IPC, UAPA, Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act. A ninth accused, Vikram Kumar, was later added to the chargesheet.
Naseer, originally from Kerala’s Kannur district, was arrested in 2009 near the Bangladesh border and has been in Bengaluru prison since 2013. Convicted in the 2008 blasts case that killed one and injured 20, he was once LeT’s South India commander and had been hiding in Kodagu under a false identity before his arrest. From 2017, he is believed to have begun radicalising fellow inmates, assessing their potential and indoctrinating them to join LeT. Among those allegedly recruited were Junaid, Salman, and several others.
Reacting to the latest arrests, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar criticised the state government, accusing it of allowing a complete collapse of law and order. “The NIA raids have exposed the law and order situation and the inefficiency of the Home Department. It is not just alarming but reflective of the Congress government’s soft corner for terror, as an ASI and prison staff are colluding with international terrorists and quietly supporting extremist activities,” he said.
“Even as the Home Department staff were assisting terrorists lodged in the jail, the anti-terror squad was munching snacks. It is a shame that such incidents are happening right under the nose of the chief minister and home minister, while the state police remain mum and inactive,” Kumar added.
