The case posed unique challenges, such as a lot of evidence having blown to pieces in the suicide attack and seven accused being subsequently killed in encounters. However, the central agency used forensic tests including DNA profiling of the meagre evidence to breach the dead ends.
'Shoma didn't have the luxury of time. She was already suffering from so many ailments.'
The anti-terror agency, while referring to the evidence on record, claimed Navlakha was working in urban areas and assigned the job to unite intellectuals against government forces to defeat them.
The National Investigation Agency special court on Tuesday framed charges against 11 accused, all suspected to be members of banned Indian Mujahideen and Students Islamic Movement of India, for the serial blasts at Prime Minister (then Gujarat chief minister) Narendra Modi's 'Hunkar Rally' at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on October 27, 2013.
A division bench comprising Justices Ashutosh Kumar and Jitendra Kumar disposed of the death reference moved by the state government on the order of a special National Investigation Agency court, and ruled that the four convicts shall serve "30 years in prison".
The NIA has said its investigation has revealed Waze and other accused had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Hiran on March 2 and 3.
The charge sheet, which was filed against 20 PFI members, further mentions that "these 'Service Team' members were given arms as well attack training and surveillance techniques training in order to identify, list out and to mount surveillance on individuals and leaders belonging to certain communities and groups".
The case pertains to hatching a conspiracy, both on physical as well as cyberspace, for undertaking violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, by cadres of Pakistan-based proscribed terrorist organisations.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested Iqbal Kaskar, the jailed brother of 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim, as part of a probe into a recently registered money laundering case against him, officials said.
The assailants claimed they hacked Lal to death to avenge an alleged insult to Islam.
The judge will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment on July 12 and the convicts can get a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the offences.
The case relates to alleged terror funding in 2017 in the valley and involves Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind based in Pakistan.
Former BJP president of Bharuch and senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member Shirish Bangali and general secretary of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha Pragnesh Mistry were shot dead in the district by two unidentified gunmen on November 2 last year.
Submitting a medical report before the Metropolitan Magistrate, the NIA, while moving an application for judicial remand of Hina Bashir Beigh, her husband Jahanzaib Sami and Abdul Basith till July 4, informed that the woman accused had tested positive for COVID-19 conducted ahead of shifting her to Tihar Jail.
Justice Anup J Bhambhani, who conducted the hearing through video conferencing, said there was an evident haste shown by the NIA in moving pleas across Mumbai and Delhi over weekends and Gazetted holidays (Eid) and obtaining orders by e-mail, and 'whisking away' Navlakha to Mumbai, which has rendered these proceedings infructuous.
The agency said that it could not find any 'strong evidence' against Indresh Kumar, Sadhvi Pragya, Rajendra and Ramesh alias Prince.
Rubaiya Sayeed, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's daughter, appeared before a special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Friday in a case related to her 1989 abduction and identified JKLF chief Yasin Malik and three others as her abductors, officials said.
The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday sought the death penalty for convicted Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, who had earlier pleaded guilty of all charges, including those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a terror funding case, court sources said.
National Investigation Agency on Monday formally arrested Lokesh Sharma, already in judicial custody in connection with the Samjhauta train bombing case, for his alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.
Vikas Yadav, a former Indian government official charged by the United States authorities for his alleged role in a foiled plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, was arrested by Delhi Police in December last year in an unrelated extortion and kidnapping case, police sources said.
The court, in its order, said it appears from the report that accused has not cooperated with the investigation on the crucial aspect.
The right hand of TJ Joseph, professor of Newman College in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was chopped off by alleged PFI activists on July 4, 2010.
Teltumbde, Navlakha and nine other civil liberties activists have been booked under the stringent provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for having alleged Maoist links and conspiring to overthrow the government.
A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday refused bail to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in an alleged money laundering case linked to a land deal in which fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides were involved.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said once a case has been made out for the grant of bail to an accused, the court cannot decline the relief.
A special court in Srinagar on Monday framed charges against eight persons, including a prominent Hurriyat leader, for selling Pakistani MBBS seats in Jammu and Kashmir to fund terror activities.
NIA had sought 15-day custodial interrogation of the accused who were arrested from various parts of the national capital and Uttar Pradesh.
Activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, on Thursday moved a discharge application before the special NIA court in Mumbai, claiming that the probe agency has not produced any material to show that he is a member of CPI-Maoist or his alleged role in the case.
The Madras high court has refused bail to two persons, said to be the members of the banned organisation LTTE, who attempted to loot Rs 40 crore lying idle in the savings bank account of a dead man.
The raids, as per official sources, began at 3:30 am and involved as many as 300 NIA officials from across its various offices.
Shah defended the government for not filing an appeal against the acquittal of all four accused, including the radical right-wing's Swami Aseemanand, in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts case.
As per information available, more than 100 witnesses are yet to be examined.
Swami Aseemanand, arrested in the Samjhauta train blast case, on Monday claimed he was not involved in the bombing and was made to give a confession under duress by the National Investigation Agency.
Sohail Nadvi, Amravati district head of PFI, was taken to Nagpuri Gate police station and was questioned, said an official.
The notice requested Rashid or a representative of his to appear before the district expenditure monitoring committee within two days to address the discrepancy and ensure timely submission of the expenditure report to the Election Commission of India.
The court has also said it does not find the accusations against Teltumbde to be 'inherently improbable' or 'wholly unbelievable', and prima facie he was involved in furthering activities of a banned organisation.
A special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai on Wednesday convicted six persons for possessing and circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes in May 2009.
The accused, identified as Tariq Mir, a resident of Maldoora of Shopian district in south Kashmir, was the fifth person arrested in the case which came to light when Singh was arrested along with three terrorists including a most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen commander in January this year.
Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa were traced to their hideout near Kolkata and apprehended by an NIA team, they said.
The National Investigation Agency on Friday told a Delhi court that it has been unable to get the custody of 26/11 key handler Abu Jundal, whom it wanted to interrogate for unearthing the conspiracy hatched by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba for terror strikes across India.