Court sends Pakistani LeT operative to NIA custody till Aug 11

A special court on Saturday sent Bahadur Ali alias 'Saifullah' — a Pakistani national allegedly working for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba — to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody till August 11 after the agency said his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy.

District Judge Amar Nath sent the accused to the custody after he was produced before it and the agency submitted that he was required to be quizzed in the case.

According to sources, in its application, the NIA had sought Ali's custody for 14 days to unearth the larger conspiracy of the terror outfit where the accused, along with his associates, had planned terror attacks to destabilise the security and sovereignty of India.

The NIA is questioning the accused about the involvement of his group in spreading violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

A fourth-class dropout Ali, who hails from Jahama village of Raiwind in Lahore, was arrested from village Yahama in Mawar area of Qalamabad, Handwara, in North Kashmir on July 25. The Army had recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pistols and Indian Rs 23,000 from his possession.

Ali was allegedly trained at a Lashkar camp in Pakistan occupies Kashmir, including in map reading and operating GPS devices.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had called him a very good catch and said his arrest will lead to many successes.