Marriage, Fake Passport And An Escape To Saudi Arabia: How LeT Terrorist ‘Khargosh’ Fled India

A top operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Umer Harris alias “Khargosh” (rabbit), is suspected to be hiding in Saudi Arabia after fleeing India using forged documents, officials told PTI on Sunday. Originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Harris allegedly secured an Indian passport under the fake identity “Sajjad”, posing as a resident of Rajasthan.

The investigation into the terror module, led by Srinagar Police, has uncovered serious loopholes in the verification system that enabled him to obtain official documents. The case, registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in March, is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), with key inputs already shared with multiple state police units.

Earlier believed to have links with Karachi, investigators have now confirmed Harris’ origins in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He is said to have joined Lashkar-e-Taiba to evade police action in Karachi, where several arson cases were pending against him, before being pushed into Jammu and Kashmir in 2012.

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Why ‘Khargosh’?

Harris reportedly earned the alias ‘Khargosh’ for his ability to swiftly move between locations and evade security forces.

Investigations reveal that after infiltrating the Kashmir Valley, he stayed at multiple locations in Bandipora and Srinagar. He later married the daughter of an Over Ground Worker (OGW) linked to LeT. The Nikah ceremony was conducted in Jaipur under his fake identity, and the marriage documents were subsequently used to support his passport application.

Officials say the case has exposed critical gaps in the passport verification process, raising concerns about how such documents were issued despite mandatory checks.

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Fled from Indonesia to Saudi & More: Escape Route

According to officials, Harris fled to Indonesia and later used another forged document to move to Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025. Efforts are underway through diplomatic channels to secure his deportation back to India.

The revelations came after Srinagar Police dismantled a “deep-rooted” inter-state LeT module, arresting five individuals, including Pakistani terrorist Abdullah alias Abu Hureira, who had been absconding for 16 years and had built networks beyond Jammu and Kashmir.

The arrest of Abdullah, along with another Pakistani national, Usman alias Khubaib, was another major success for the Srinagar Police, coming six months after the dismantling of a "white-collar" terror cell centred at Faridabad's Al Falah University.

During interrogation, Abdullah informed his captors about his and Harris' movements across India, particularly in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab.

This included the marriage ceremony, following which the bride's father was detained as he was well aware of the Pakistani terrorist's true identity, the officials said.

The operation in Srinagar, which began on March 31 and was monitored by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, who camped in the city during that period, has unveiled the funding and financial pattern of the LeT, they said.

The terrorists used forged documents and identities to create a network not just in Jammu and Kashmir but in several other states, they added.

Three Srinagar residents, identified as Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat, Adil Rashid Bha, and Ghulam Mohammad Mir alias Mama, were among the five arrested. They are accused of providing shelter, food and logistical support to the terrorists.

The elaborate network began to unravel on March 31 when the first of the three Srinagar residents, Naqeeb Bhat, was arrested from the Pandach area along with a pistol and other incriminating material.

During his questioning, Bhat told police that he was a part of the LeT and procured the arms and ammunition from another associate, Adil Rashid of Zakoora, and also provided support to foreign terrorists, the officials said.

From Bhat, police were led to Mir and Rashid Bhat, both active associates of LeT in Srinagar, and during the investigation, following disclosures from those arrested, various hideouts were also busted in forested areas in and around Srinagar.

The two Pakistani terrorists are categorised as 'A+' grade militants, and the officials said they infiltrated India approximately 16 years ago and remained active across various districts of the Kashmir Valley, 'commanding' around 40 foreign terrorists over the years, most of whom have since been neutralised.

( With inputs from PTI )