NIA charge sheets two in Hizbul terror attack conspiracy in UP

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday filed a chargesheet in connection with an alleged conspiracy of the Hizbul Mujahideen to carry out a terror attack in Uttar Pradesh in 2018, the agency said Monday.

In its chargesheet filed in a special court in Lucknow, the agency charged Kamruj Zaman of Assam and absconding accused Osama Bin Javed of Jammu and Kashmir under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy among others and stringent sections of anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The Uttar Pradesh Police had booked Zaman on September 12, 2018 for hatching a criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks by Hizbul Mujahideen cadres at different places in the state. It was later taken up by the NIA. "Investigation has established that Zaman and Javed had joined HM and were imparted nine months weapon training (June 2017 - March 2018) by two cadres of terror group Mohammad Amin and Hajari in the jungles of district Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir," the NIA spokesperson said. After completing training, Zaman was directed to set up hideouts and select targets in Uttar Pradesh and Assam for terrorist attacks, he alleged. "On 8 April 2018, a photograph of Zaman brandishing an automatic AK-47 rifle emerged on social media, which was posted by Mannan Wani, a slain terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen, on his Facebook account," he said. Fearing arrest, Zaman escaped to Bangladesh but remained in constant touch with Javed and and Riyaz Naikoo, Hizbul Mujahideen's operational commander in Kashmir, over BBM chat application, the agency alleged. In first week of August 2018, he returned to India and stayed in Assam for some time, the spokesperson alleged. On 25 August 2018, on directions of Javed and Riyaz Naikoo, Zaman proceeded to Kanpur where he carried out reconnaissance of a few temples to carry out terror attacks, the spokesperson claimed. He was also trying to collect arms and explosives to carry out terror activities, he said.