NIA shifts Udhampur terror accused to Delhi

Jammu, Aug 13

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday shifted Udhampur terror attack accused Muhammad Naveed alias Usman to New Delhi from Jammu and Kashmir.

“A special team of the NIA, headed by senior superintendent of police Atul Goel, shifted the accused today (Thursday) to New Delhi in a BSF helicopter,” police sources told IANS in Jammu.

The NIA obtained a 14-day remand for the custodial interrogation of the accused from a special NIA designate court in Jammu on August 10.

“NIA Director General Sharad Kumar reviewed the progress of the case during his two-day visit here. The DG was also present during one questioning session of the accused,” sources said.

Naveed and another terrorist had attacked a BSF bus on August 5 at Narsu Nallah in Udhampur district, killing two troopers and injuring 11 others.

While Naveed’s accomplice was killed in the gunfight with BSF troopers, he managed to escape to Samroli, 15 km from the attack site on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. He later took three people hostage in a house in Chirdi village.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist was, however, overpowered by his hostages and handed over to local police.

The NIA team brought Naveed to the Valley last week to establish his terror links.

The NIA rounded up around a dozen people who allegedly sheltered the terrorist and facilitated his passage from the Valley to the terror attack site.

A local businessman, alleged to have given Rs.5 lakh to Abu Dujana, the LeT mastermind of the Udhampur attack, is still absconding. (IANS)