NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Indian Mujahideen was planning to kidnap “Jews” and “white persons” to bargain for release of Pakistani scholar Aafia Siddique, an alleged Al-Qaeda operative jailed for 86 years in the US, the NIA has said.
In a supplementary charge sheet filed before a Delhi court against IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his three aides, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that during his stay in Nepal, Yasin had discussed with top IM member Riyaz Bhatkal about the plan to get Siddique released from jail.
“Investigation has established that during the stay of the accused A-6 (Yasin Bhatkal) in Nepal, Riyaz had also suggested kidnapping of Jews as a bargain to set free Aafia Siddique, imprisoned by USA,” NIA said.
Siddique was alleged to be an operative of global terror organisation Al-Qaeda and was convicted and awarded 86 years jail term in USA in 2010 on charges of attempt to murder and assaulting US officers during her interrogation.
NIA, in its 277-page supplementary charge sheet, said that the IM operatives had also planned to kidnap “some rich Indian businessmen” and to acquire arms and hideout to execute the kidnapping.
Referring to the Internet chats between Yasin and Riyaz on April 6 last year, NIA said Yasin had informed Riyaz that they could kidnap Jews easily at Pokhara in Nepal.
It also said that during the Internet chat on June 7 last year, arrested accused Asadullah Akhtar had discussed with absconding IM operative Mirza Shadaab Beg the kidnapping of “white persons” for the release of Aafia Siddique, who was apprehended by the US authorities from Afghanistan in 2008.
NIA had recently filed the charge sheet against Bhatkal, Akhtar and two other suspected IM operatives in connection with alleged conspiracy to carry out terror acts in India.
The court had taken cognisance of the charge sheet and had fixed the matter for March 7 for further proceedings.
According to the NIA, Bhatkal, wanted in around 40 terror cases and carrying a reward of Rs 35 lakh, and Akhtar were arrested from Indo-Nepal border on the night of August 28 last year. (PTI)
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