NIA Raids Multiple Locations Across Seven States In Connection With Prison Radicalisation Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at multiple locations across seven states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into a case related to the radicalisation of prisoners by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist.

The search operations were carried out at a total of 17 places, linked to the suspects involved in the case registered in October. The investigation stems from a case originally registered by the Bengaluru City Police in July 2023.

The case was initiated after the seizure of a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including seven pistols, four hand grenades, one magazine, 45 live rounds, and four walkie-talkies in July last year from the possession of seven accused individuals who were gathered at a house.

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Further investigations into the case was taken over by the NIA in October 2023, revealed that T Naseer, a LeT operative serving a life sentence in Bengaluru Central Prison since 2013, had come into contact with the other accused while they were all incarcerated in Bengaluru Prison in 2017.

The raids conducted on Tuesday by the NIA were part of the agency's efforts to uncover the extent of radicalisation and the involvement of LeT elements in the prison system.

Initially, five individuals were arrested in connection with the case, and their interrogation led to the arrest of one more suspect, bringing the total number of arrests to six. The main accused, T Nasir, identified as the LeT operative responsible for radicalising the prisoners in Bengaluru Central Jail, remains at large along with accomplice Junaid Ahmed.

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Following the transfer of the case to the NIA in October last year, the agency conducted searches, including at the residence of Junaid Ahmed.

The NIA's spokesperson confirmed that the raids conducted on Tuesday were part of the agency's ongoing efforts to unravel the network involved in prison radicalisation.