NIA chargesheets 25 persons in J&K terror conspiracy case

New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted 25 persons in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror conspiracy case.

According to the NIA, the case pertains to hatching a conspiracy, including in the cyberspace, for carrying out terrorist acts in J&K and other parts of the country by the cadres of proscribed terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr and their affiliates like The Resistance Front (TRF) and People's Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF).

The accused have been identified as Bashir Ahmed Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam, Imtiyaz Kundoo alias Fayaz Sopore, Bilal Ahmed Mir alias Bilal Fafoo, Owais Ahmed Dar, Tariq Ahmed Dar, Tariq Ahmed Bafanda, Mohd Haneef Chairalu, Hanan Gulzar Dar, Mateen Ahmed Bhat, Kamran Ashraf Reshi, Rayid Bashir, Mohd Manan Dar, Zamin Adil Bhat, Hariis Nisar Langoo, Rouf Ahmad Bhat, Sobiya Aziz Mir, Amir Ahmad Gojree, Sadaat Amin Malik, Ishfaq Amin Wani, Rashid Muzafar Ganai, Nashir Ahmad Mir, Irfan Tariq Antoo, Suhail Ahmad Thokar, Adil Ahmad War and Arif Farooq Bhat.

The NIA said that the investigation has unearthed a deep-rooted conspiracy of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations joining hands to form of a united group and shifting their modus operandi by floating pseudo offshoot outfits portrayed as indigenous resistance groups, in whose name terrorist acts are committed with an intention to claim deniability at the international level.

"After the abrogation of Article 370, this shift was discernible in claims of terrorist acts done in J&K," the probe agency said.

Many affiliate and offshoot outfits such as TRF, PAFF, United Liberation Front J&K, Muslim Janbaaz Force (MJF), Kashmir Janbaaz Force (KJF), Kashmir Tigers, Kashmir Fight, Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind, Kashmir Gaznavi Force etc. had suddenly mushroomed, laying claims to various terrorist acts.

The NIA probe established that all these pseudo-outfits are in fact offshoots/rechristened versions of proscribed terrorist organisations based in Pakistan which have been floated under a deep-rooted conspiracy to portray terrorism in J&K as home-grown insurgency.

"A well-organised propaganda machinery was operating in the cyberspace through various websites, blogs, social media handles, closed channels on encrypted communication platforms etc., wherein concocted and skewed narrative was presented to radicalise the youth," the NIA said, adding that the probe revealed that all such "media propaganda" of different terrorist outfits was epicentred around common nodes operating from Pakistan.

The investigative agency also said that a key element of the conspiracy was inducting new cadres in the form of ‘hybrid terrorists' belonging to various walks of life, who could use their cover to remain rooted in the society and simultaneously carry out instructions of their terrorist handlers.

While acting as Over Ground Workers, they were also found indulging in terrorist activities such as grenade lobbing, undertaking lone attacks on vulnerable targets, arson etc.

The investigation has also revealed a clear shift in the strategy of the terrorist organisations towards targeted killings of minorities, civilians, migrants, government officials and unguarded security personnel, the NIA added.