Suspected LeT operative’s custody extended till October 22

A special court extended till October 22 the judicial custody of Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, alias “Saifullah” who had been arrested by the NIA on the charges of allegedly working for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

Ali was produced before district judge Amar Nath from Tihar Central Jail and during in-camera proceedings, the NIA moved an application seeking extension of judicial custody for the accused.

The NIA, in a twist to the turmoil in Kashmir, had cited Ali’s confessional video to claim that the ongoing unrest in the Valley was being orchestrated by Pakistan-based LeT which had played a major role in fuelling the unrest, triggered by the encounter killing of a militant leader.

The agency has claimed that since summer this year, the banned outfit, with the “help of Pakistani forces deployed on the border”, pushed armed terrorists heavily into India with the direction to mix with the local people, create disturbance and attack police and security forces.

NIA had earlier told the court that along with his associates, Ali had planned terror strikes to “destabilise the security and sovereignty” of India.

A fourth-class dropout Ali, who hails from Jahama village of Raiwind in Lahore, was arrested from village Yahama in Mawar area of Qalamabad, Handwara, in North Kashmir on July 25. The army had claimed to have recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pistols and Indian Rs 23,000 from his possession.

According to NIA, Ali was trained at a LeT camp in PoK to carry out various activities, includig map reading and operating GPS devices.