2019 Pulwama Attack: Two Years On, Six Terrorists Still Absconding
The NIA has prepared LRs against all Pakistani nationals named in the Pulwama attack charge sheet.
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Pakistan-based terror mastermind Masood Azhar and his brother Rauf Asghar – the key conspirators behind 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawans – are still absconding.
A letter rogatory (LR) or a formal judicial request has been prepared by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) seeking information about all Pakistani nationals named in the charge sheet filed by the agency in August 2020.
“Since India does not have a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Pakistan, LRs have been prepared which will be sent from the Indian court concerned to the court in Pakistan,” an NIA source told The Quint. However, the NIA did not confirm when these LRs will be sent by the agency.
NIA Probe So Far
The NIA filed a 13,800-page charge sheet against 19 accused, including seven Pakistani nationals, in the Pulwama case on 25 August 2020 before a special court in Jammu.
The charge sheet was filed under section 120B (conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) of Ranbir Penal Code, section 7, 25, 27 of Arms Act, sections 3,5,4 & 6 of the Explosive substances Act, sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 14C of Foreigners Act.
Out of the 19 accused, seven were arrested, six are absconding, and six were killed in an encounter.
During the investigation, the NIA collected a lot of digital, forensic, documentary and oral evidence establishing a foolproof case against the accused. The charge sheet out on record the all-out involvement of Pakistan-based entities to carry out terrorist strikes in India.
4 Pakistanis Out of 6 Absconding
1. Masood Azhar, Pakistani
Fifty-two-year-old Masood Azhar is the JeM chief. The NIA charge sheet reveals that he is the main conspirator behind the attack – and was in constant touch with terrorists in India before and after the Pulwama attack.
2. Rauf Asgar Alvi, Pakistani
Forty-seven-year-old Rauf Asgar Alvi financed the JeM to carry out the Pulwama attack. He is a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan. He, along with Masood Azhar, were giving directions and guidance to the Pakistani JeM terrorists (who had infiltrated India).
3. Ammar Alvi, Pakistani
Forty-six-year-old Ammar Alvi supervised the training, regarding manufacturing of IED (Improvised Explosive Device), of the JeM terrorists who were involved in the Pulwama attack. He works closely with Masood Azhar and Rauf Asgar Alvi.
All three – Masood, Rauf and Ammar – had planned to carry out another suicide attack, but it was averted due to the Balakot strikes and the killing of main conspirator Mohd Umar Farooq by the security forces.
4. Mohd Ismail Alvi, Pakistani
Mohd Ismail Alvi, 25, is one of the main conspirators behind the attack. He collected the explosive material used in the attack on the security forces.
5. Sameer Ahmad Dar, Indian
Sameer Ahmad Dar is a resident of Kakapora in Pulwama in Kashmir. The 22-year-old is a JeM terrorist and cousin of Pulwama attack suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar. He was one of the conspirators of the attack. He, with his cousin, Adil and accused Mohammad Umar Farooq, made the propaganda video clip of the suicide attack at accused Insha Jan’s house towards the end of January 2019. The video was released immediately after the attack.
6. Ashaq Ahmed Nengroo, Indian
Thirty-three-year-old Ashaq Ahmed Nengroo is a resident of Rajpora in Pulwama in Kashmir. He transported JeM terrorists from the international border in Hirnagar Sector to Kashmir Valley.
7 Arrested Terrorists Include A Female
1. Insha Jan, Indian
Insha Jan, 22, was the only female involved in the Pulwama attack. She gave shelter to the JeM terrorists at her residence. The propaganda video clip released after the attack was recorded at her residence. She also provided logistical support to the terrorists. She is a resident of Hakirpora in Pulwama in Kashmir.
2. Shakir Bashir, Indian
Shakir Bashir, 24, is a resident of Hajibal Lalhar in Pulwama in Kashmir. From December 2018 onwards, Bashir started reconnaissance of the movement and deployment of security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
RDX was brought by the Pakistani terrorists who infiltrated into India. Bashir collected the explosive material, ie, RDX, Gelatin sticks, Aluminium power and Calcium-Ammonium Nitrate and stocked them at his house to make the IED.
On 14 February 2019, as the National Highway opened, Bashir drove Adil Ahmad Dar in Maruti EECO till the National Highway, after which Adil took charge of the vehicle. Adil drove on to the National Highway and carried out the suicide attack by ramming the Maruti EECO car laden with 200 kgs of high grade explosives into the CRPF convoy.
3. Peer Tariq Ahmed Shah, Indian
Fifty-three-year-old Peer Tariq Ahmed Shah is a resident of Kakapora in Pulwama in Kashmir. He provided logistical support and harboured the JeM terrorists in his house.
4. Mohd Abass Rather, Indian
Mohd Abass Rather, a 31-year-old resident of Hakripora in Pulwama in Kashmir, is an Over Ground Worker of the JeM who provided logistic support to the terrorists involved in the attack.
5. Waiz Ul Islam, Indian
Twenty-year-old Waiz-ul-Islam is a resident of Bagh-e-Mehtab in Srinagar in Kashmir. He ordered 4 kgs of Aluminium powder from his Amazon account on the directions of accused Mohd Ismail and gave it to him.
6. Bilal Ahmed Kuchhey, Indian
28-year-old Bilal Ahmed Kuchhey is a resident of Hajibal Lalhar in Pulwama in Kashmir. He is an Over Ground Worker of the JeM who provided logistic support to the terrorists involved in the attack.
7. Mohd Iqbal Rathar, Indian
Mohd Iqbal Rather, 25, is a resident of Fultipura in Budgam in Kashmir. He with Ashaq Ahmed Nengroo transported the JeM terrorists from the international border in Hirnagar Sector to Kashmir Valley.
Main Conspirator Among 5 Terrorists Killed in Encounter
The security forces carried out an encounter a month after the Pulwama attack in March 2019. Six terrorists were killed, including the main conspirator Umar Farooq, who is also the nephew of the chief of the JeM terror organisation. Umar had visited Afghanistan for explosives training in 2016-17. He infiltrated into India through the international border at Jammu-Samba Sector in April 2018 and took over as JeM Commander of Pulwama.
Twenty-five-year-old Mohd Kamran Ali and Qari Yasir, both Pakistani nationals who got killed in the encounter, worked closely with Umar in planning the attack.
On 14 February, when the Highway opened, Adil Ahmad Dar carried out the suicide attack by ramming his car into the CRPF convoy.
Nineteen-year-old Sajjad Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Anantnag in Kashmir, purchased the Maruti EECO car for the purpose of carrying out the IED attack. He kept the car in the front yard of Shakir Bashir’s house. He was killed in the encounter.
Charges are being framed against all accused in the Jammu court based on the NIA’s charge sheet.
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