The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, July 8, arrested a Central Prison psychiatrist and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) among three persons from Karnataka in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group’s prison radicalisation case of 2023. The arrests were made following extensive searches in two districts of Karnataka.

According to NIA, searches were conducted at five locations in Bengaluru and Kolar districts of the state which lead to the “arrest of Dr Nagaraj, Psychiatrist, Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) ASI Chan Pasha, and Anees Fathima, mother of an absconding accused.”

The investigation agency also found various digital devices, cash, gold and incriminating documents during the searches at the accused's houses.

“The case RC-28/2023/NIA/DLI relates to the recovery of arms, ammunition, explosives and digital devices, including two walkie-talkies, from habitual offenders who were conspiring to unleash terror activities in Bengaluru city with the aim of furthering the nefarious agenda of the proscribed terrorist organization LeT,” the NIA said.

The Central agency said that the psychiatrist was smuggling mobile phones to inmates including Tadiyandaveed Naseer @ T Naseer, a life-time convict lodged in terror cases in Central Prison, Bengaluru. Also Read | BIG arrest: 2 arrested for harbouring Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists responsible for Pahalgam terror attack, says NIA

Nagaraj was supported by one Pavithra in this activity.

“Besides houses of Nagaraj and Pavithra, NIA also searched the house of Anees Fathima, mother of absconder Junaid Ahmed and involved in passing instructions from Naseer to her son for raising funds and handing over the same to T Naseer in prison,” it said.

“As per NIA investigations, ASI Chan Pasha had, in 2022, been involved in passing information related to T Naseer’s escort from prison to various courts in exchange of money.”

In the 2023 LeT prison radicalisation case, the NIA has already chargesheeted nine accused. They include absconder “Junaid Ahmed, under various sections of IPC and UA(P) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act in the case. Investigations and efforts to track the absconder are continuing.”