Prison radicalisation case: NIA carries out raids at 6 locations in Bengaluru

The raids were carried out at the houses of four accused, one of whom is still absconding, and two other suspects as part of continuing investigations into the case registered in October, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

Logo of National Investigation Agency.

Credit: DH File Photo

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it raided six places in Bengaluru on Wednesday over the suspected radicalisation of prisoners by a Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked convict.

In July, Bengaluru police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested five men suspected to have been radicalised by LeT convict, T Nasser, at the city's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The agency later arrested one more person.

The case was transferred to the NIA, which searched six places on Wednesday, including the houses of Mohammad Umar Khan, Tanveer Ahmed, Mohammad Faisal Rabbani and Mohammad Farooq. NIA officials also searched the house of Junaid Ahmed, a prime suspect who is at large, the agency said in a statement.

During the search operation, NIA sleuths seized digital devices, "incriminating" documents and Rs 7.3 lakh in cash. During the July raids, the CCB had seized arms and ammunition including seven country-made pistols, 45 bullets, four walkie-talkie sets, a dagger, and 12 mobile phones.

Junaid and 12 others were arrested in 2017 in a murder case registered at the RT Nagar police station. During their stay in prison, Junaid and five others were allegedly radicalised by Nasser.

Upon their release from prison, the six men "plotted" bomb blasts in Bengaluru at Nasser's behest, the NIA said.

Junaid has been absconding since 2021 after being named in a red sanders smuggling case. Investigators believe he was in touch with the arrested suspects through encrypted communication platforms, and provided them with funds for arms and ammunition.