NIA registers ‘conspiracy case’ against Lashker-e-Mustafa

SRINAGAR — National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday registered a case it claimed to be related to ‘conspiracy by frontal running militant organization Lashkar-e-Mustafa, working at the behest of proscribed militant organization Jaish-e-Mohammed to carry out militant activities in Jammu area with the aim of threatening the sovereignty, integrity and security of India.’

A statement received here maintains that the case was initially registered as FIR number 16/2021 of Gangyal Police Station, District Jammu on 06.02.2021 under Section 18, 20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

NIA, as per the statement, has re-registered this case as RC-01/2021/NIA/JMU on 02.03.2021 and has taken over the investigation.

The arrested accused Hidayat-ullah Malik, as per the statement, is the chief of Lashker-e-Mustafa, from whose possession one hand-grenade, three magazines and 28 rounds with other incriminating material were recovered.

“Hidayat-ullah Malik had done reconnaissance of many security installations in Jammu and Delhi in 2018 and 2019 for carrying out militant attacks and has been associated with other militant groups in the past and has furthered subversive and militant activities in Kashmir valley,” the statement maintains.

The militant group, as per the statement, had also committed a daylight Bank robbery in which 60 lakh rupees were looted from J&K Bank, Main Branch Shopian in November, 2020.

“Investigation in the case continues,” the statement read further.