NIA attaches house in UP used by Al-Qaeda member to prepare for terror attack

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday said that they have attached a house in Uttar Pradesh as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ after discovering that it was being used by an active member of the banned terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda/Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, to make preparations for carrying out terror attacks, an official said.

“The accused, Minhaj Ahmed, was using the property, situated on Ring Road, Dubagga, Uttar Pradesh, for carrying out various terror-related unlawful activities, including fabrication of IEDs and petrol bombs, to carry out terrorist attacks in the state. The property is registered in the name of Minhaj’s father, Siraj Ahmad and the latter’s mother and brother,” the official added. 
 
The NIA, attached the property on Monday, under Section 25 of the UA (P) Act. 

The NIA said that it had found that the accused, Minhaj, had been working closely with Adil Nabi Teli alias Musa, a terrorist affiliated with TRF (an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation Laskhar-e-Taiba). 

Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces on March 16, 2022.
 
Investigations by the NIA in a case pertaining to radicalisation/recruitment of members for AQIS (Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) had led the agency to Minhaj’s connections with Musa. 

The NIA has found that Minhaj had provided funds to the co-accused for the purpose of carrying out violent Jihadi (terrorist activities) in Kashmir. 
 
The accused procured certain raw materials and components to fabricate an IED in a pressure cooker, which was recovered from the property attached on Monday.  

Minhaj had also prepared a sample IED using materials in small quantity and carried out its controlled explosion (testing) on the roof of the said house, NIA investigations have revealed.
 
The anti-terror agency has also found that Minhaj had recorded a video of the fabrication of IED as well as its controlled explosion and sent it to Musa. He had also prepared a petrol bomb and shared a video of its fabrication with Musa. 

Minhaj had also procured a pistol and live ammunition, and concealed it in his room on the first floor of the said house.
 
The case was initially registered as on July 11, 2021, by the ATS, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. It was taken over and re-registered by NIA on July 29 the same year.
 
The NIA has so far arrested and charge-sheeted six accused in the case.