NIA raids residence of absconding HM terrorist in J&K's Kishtwar district [details]

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided the house of absconding dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Riaz Ahmed in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir in a case to lure gullible youth to join the terror outfit.

Raids were conducted at the residence of Riaz Ahmed alias Hazari, carrying a bounty of Rs 3 lakhs. The searches conducted today at Riaz's house led to the seizure of one mobile phone, which is being analyzed.

According to reports, the case was registered initially by Anti-Terrorist Squad, Uttar Pradesh on September 12, 2018, and the NIA re-registered the case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on September 24, 2018.

According to the case, absconding dreaded terrorist Riaz is a self-styled district Deputy Commander of the pro-Pakistan terror out Hizbul Mujahideen.

Riaz along with another dreaded terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen Mohammad Amin alias Jahangir Saroori trained some terrorists and assigned them the task to attack various parts of the country.

Both Riaz and Saroori recruited and trained two dreaded terrorists namely Kamruj and Osama Bin Javed in the forests of the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir and provided them arms and ammunition to carry out terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh and some parts of the country.

The case was first registered by UP Police and later handed over to NIA

Reports said that the case was registered against Kamruj to carry out terror attacks by Hizbul Mujahideen cadres at different places in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India.

Kamruj and one absconding accused, Osama Bin Javed, were chargesheeted in the NIA Special Court in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on March 11, 2019, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Osama was killed in an encounter with security forces on September 28 in 2019.

Subsequently, on May 29, 2021, a Supplementary Chargesheet was filed against arrested accused persons Nisar Ahmad Sheikh and Nishad Ahmad Butt, both residents of Jammu and Kashmir. A second supplementary chargesheet was filed against the arrested accused Danish Naseer on November 25, 2022.

Investigations have revealed that Kamruj was radicalized by Osama Bin Javed to join the Hizbul Mujahideen and both received nine months of physical and weapon-handling training by the cadres of the terror outfit.

After completion of training, Kamruj was directed to set up bases and hideouts and select targets in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and other parts of India for terrorist activities.