Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives who were targeting the city for terror attacks.
The Hyderabad police had arrested Mohd Abdul Wajid alias Zahed, Samiuddin alias Sami and Maaz Hasan Farooq alias Maaz last year and charged them with terrorist conspiracy. They allegedly raised funds and collected explosives to carry out recruitment into the LeT, the police said.
The NIA had taken over investigations into the case in January 2023 from Hyderabad Police. NIA investigations revealed that Zahed, Sami and Maaz were in touch with Farhatulla Ghori, an ‘individual terrorist’ listed by the government of India.
Simultaneously, they were also in league with Siddiqu bin Osman alias Abu Hanzala, Abdul Majeed alias Chotu and other LeT leaders and operatives, the NIA said. They had aimed to carry out bomb blasts at crowded places in Hyderabad City.
Farhatulla Ghori, Siddiqu bin Osman alias Abu Hanzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu are both based in Pakistan, said the NIA.
“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 stated in a press release.
Four (04) hand grenades were dropped at an isolated spot near Manoharabad village on Hyderabad-Nagpur Highway (NH-44) on 28 September.2022. 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 Dusshera festival, the NIA added.
However, their intentions could not bear fruit as they were arrested by the Hyderabad police before the planned attacks. The grenades were recovered from their possession during a search of their houses. Rs 20 lakhs were also seized from Zahed., the NIA further added
The NIA, after ascertaining facts and filed a chargesheet on Wednesday against Zahed, Sami and Maaz under sections 120B, 153A of the Indian Penal Code (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.
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