NIA chargesheets J&K DSP Devender Singh

New Delhi, July 6

The NIA today filed a chargesheet against former J&K DSP Devender Singh and five more in a special court in Jammu for their alleged involvement in terror activities. They have been charged under various Sections of the IPC, UAPA and the Arms Act. A case was filed on January 17 on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Besides Devender Singh, the chargesheet names Hizbul commander Syed Naveed Mushtaq, alias Naveed Babu, his brother Syed Irfan Ahmad, the outfit’s alleged overground worker Irfan Shafi Mir, its member Rafi Ahmad Rather and Tanveer Ahmad Wani, a trader. Singh, who was arrested in January while ferrying two Hizbul terrorists, had established contact with officials of the Pakistan High Commission through secure social media platforms, the chargesheet says, adding that he was being “groomed by Pakistani officials for obtaining sensitive information”.

The NIA released a statement that read: “During the course of investigation, the accused were interrogated thoroughly and searches were conducted at 15 places in the Kashmir valley as well as in Jammu… The accused were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Pakistani state agencies to commit violent acts and to wage a war against the Union of India.”

The National Investigation Agency alleged that in February 2019, Singh helped Hizbul commander Mushtaq dodge heightened surveillance and arranged shelter for him and his aide in Jammu. He did this with the help of his brother Syed Irfan Ahmad and overground worker Irfan Shafi Mir.

“Accused Devender Singh used his vehicle for the movement of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists and also assured them of help in procuring weapons,” the NIA alleged. — TNS