‘Al-Qaeda Case’: NIA carries searches at five locations in Shopian, Budgam

SRINAGAR — National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried searches at five locations in southern Shopian and central Budgam districts in connection with “Al-Qaeda case of Lucknow UP.”

According to an NIA statement, the case pertains to Umar Halmandi, an alleged Al-Qaeda operative, who along with other accused persons, had been “radicalizing and recruiting vulnerable persons for AQIS (Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) and trying to raise Ansaar Gajwatul Hind (AGH) to carry out (militant) acts for which they had already arranged arms and explosive substances.”

“Today NIA conducted searches at five locations in Shopian and Budgam districts of Kashmir in connection with the investigation of the case,” reads the statement as per GNS.

The case was initially registered as FIR No. 10/2021 on July 11, 2021 at Police Station ATS, Uttar Pradesh and NIA had re-registered the same as RC-02/2021/NIA/LKW, on July 29, 2021.

“During the searches conducted today, large number of incriminating documents and digital devices have been seized,” the NIA claimed, adding, “Further investigation in the case is continuing.”