Lucknow: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided the residential premises of an absconding accused in the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror conspiracy case.
The accused has been identified as Riaz Ahmed, a resident of Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir. NIA has announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for any leads on Ahmed. The searches conducted at his house led to the seizure of one mobile phone, which is being analysed.
The case, registered initially by the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on September 12, 2018, was taken over by the NIA on September 24, 2018.
This case was registered against Qamar-Uz-Zaman and others for carrying out terror attacks by HM cadres at different places in UP and other parts of India.
Zaman and one absconding accused, Osama-bin-Javed were chargesheeted in NIA special court, Lucknow on March 11, 2019 under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Osama was killed in an encounter with security forces on September 28, 2019.
On May 29, 2021, a supplementary chargesheet was filed against arrested accused persons Nisar Ahmad Sheikh and Nishad Ahmad Butt, both residents of J&K. A second supplementary chargesheet was filed against arrested accused Danish Naseer on November 25, 2022.
“Investigations have revealed that accused Qamar-Uz-Zaman was radicalized by Osama-bin-Javed to join the HM and both received nine months of physical and weapon-handling training by HM cadres. Absconding accused Riaz Ahmed, an active militant and district deputy commander of the HM, along with another co-accused Mohammad Amin, also an active militant and district commander of HM, was involved in recruiting and training accused Zaman and Osama in the forests of Kishtwar district of J&K,” said the NIA.
After completion of training, Zaman was directed to set up bases and hideouts and select targets in UP, Assam and other parts of India for terrorist activities. Accordingly, he had come to Kanpur where he had also carried out reconnaissance of a few targets, the NIA said.
