NIA files chargesheet in Hyderabad terror conspiracy case

The NIA filed a chargesheet against three Hyderabad based alleged LeT operatives who allegedly planned to carry out terror acts in the city in September.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives who were targeting Hyderabad city.

A senior NIA official said that Mohd Abdul Wajid alias Zahed, Samiuddin alias Sami and Maaz Hasan Farooq alias Maaz have been charged for their role in the terrorist conspiracy to raise funds, collect explosives and carry out recruitment into the LeT. NIA filed the chargesheet against the trio under sections 120B, 153A of IPC, sections 4, 5, 6 of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 and sections 13, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 39 of the UA (P) Act, 1967.

NIA Investigations revealed that Zahed, Sami and Maaz were in touch with Farhatulla Ghori, an ‘individual terrorist’ listed by the Government of India. “They were also in league with Siddiqu bin Osman alias Abu Hanzala, Abdul Majeed alias Chotu and other LeT leaders and operatives. They had aimed to carry out bomb blasts at crowded places in Hyderabad City,” the official said. NIA had taken over investigations into the case in January 2023 from Hyderabad Police.

“Farhatulla Ghori, Siddiqu bin Osman alias Abu Hanzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu are both based in Pakistan. Ghori recruited Zahed from cyberspace and sent funds to him through hawala channels. Zahed was tasked to recruit more persons into LeT and to carry out terrorist acts. Sami, Maaz and Mohammed Kaleem were instigated and prodded by Zahed to work for the LeT,” the NIA official said.

The official said that four hand grenades were dropped at an isolated spot near Manoharabad village on Hyderabad-Nagpur Highway (NH-44) on September 28 last year. “Zahed got the hand-grenade consignment collected through Sami and then gave one grenade each to Sami and Maaz with instructions to hurl the same at public gatherings during the Dussehra festival. However, their intentions could not bear fruit as they were arrested before the planned attacks. The grenades were recovered from their possession during a search of their houses. Rs 20 lakh was also seized from Zahed,” the official said.