Court takes cognizance of NIA chargesheet against Ex IPS Negi, others in LeT Conspiracy Case

New Delhi [India], May 13 (ANI): A Special NIA Court on Friday took cognizance of a charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ex IPS officer Arvind Digvijay Negi and human rights activist Khurram Parvez and others arrested in connection with a case of leaking secret documents to an overground worker of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group.
The Additional Sessions Judge on Friday took cognizance on the chargesheet filed under stringent sections of UAPA, IPC and Official Secret Act. Court asked the prosecutor to serve a copy of the Chargesheet in jail to all accused. The next date of hearing in the matter is July 6, 2022.
NIA filed a chargesheet against seven accused namely Khuram Parvez, Muneer Ahmad Kataria, Arshid Ahmad Tonch, Zafar Abbas, Rambhawan Prasad, Chandan Mahato and Arvind Digvijay Negi.
According to the NIA, The case pertains to a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan-based proscribed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to fund and recruit operatives/ Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) for providing support in planning and execution of terrorist activities in various parts of India including Jammu & Kashmir. The case was registered suo moto by NIA on 06.11.2021.
Agency also said that Investigation revealed that LeT operatives based in Pakistan had hatched a conspiracy with Khuram Parvez, Muneer Ahmad Kataria, Arshid Ahmad Tonch and Zafar Abbas to run a network of OGWs of LeT for furthering the activities of LeT and to commit terrorist acts in India. These accused persons collected information regarding vital installations, deployment and movement of security forces, procured official secret documents and passed on the same to their LeT handlers through encrypted communication channels for monetary consideration. The investigation also revealed that Arvind Digvijay Negi being a public servant, abused his official position and unauthorisedly passed on official secret documents to co-accused for monetary consideration and also demanded illegal gratification through co-accused for compromising the investigation. Rambhawan Prasad and Chandan Mahato had forged identity documents and used the same for procuring SIM cards and opening bank accounts and passed them on to the co-accused persons for monetary benefits.
It was further submitted that analysis of CERT-In examination report of Muneer Ahmad Kataria, certain official and sensitive documents related to NIA cases were found in the digital devices of Muneer Ahmad Kataria. Also a large number of suspicious transactions were found in the bank account statements of Muneer Ahmad Kataria and Arshid Ahmad Tonch and these evidences needs to be confronted with the accused.
NIA further submitted that from analysis of CERT-In examination report of Arshid Ahmad Tonch revealed many photographs and videos of sensitive locations and also the movement of Army convoys etc. During analysis of extracted social media data and emails of accused khurram, various incriminates chats related to the proscribed terrorist organization were found and the same need to be confronted with the accused. (ANI)