Ex-NIA officer, human rights activist charge-sheeted in terror funding case

The National Investigation Agency on Friday filed a charge sheet against seven people, including its former officer Arvind Digvijay Negi and Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, in a terror funding case.

The charge sheet was filed in a special NIA court in New Delhi against former Superintendent of Police Negi, Parvez, Muneer Ahmad Kataria and Arshid Ahmad Tonch of north Kashmir, Zaffar Abbas of Bihar, and Rambhawan Prasad and Chandan Mahato of West Bengal under relevant laws, a spokesperson of the agency said.

Negi was arrested in February this year and Parvez in November last year in connection with a case related to a conspiracy hatched by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to fund and recruit operatives and over-ground workers for providing support in planning and execution of terrorist activities in various parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA registered the case on November 6 last year.

"Investigation revealed that LeT operatives based in Pakistan had hatched a conspiracy with Parvez, Kataria, Tonch and Abbas to run a network of OGWs of LeT for furthering the activities of LeT and to commit terrorist acts in India,” the NIA said.

The agency said 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.

"Investigation also revealed that Negi, being a public servant, abused his official position and unauthorisedly passed on official secret documents to the co-accused for monetary consideration and also demanded illegal gratification through co-accused for compromising investigation,” the spokesperson said.

The NIA said Prasad and Mahato had forged identity documents and used them for procuring SIM cards and opening bank accounts and passed them on to the co-accused for monetary benefits.

The spokesperson said Negi was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Official Secrets Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act, while Parvez was charged under relevant sections of the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Further investigation in the case was underway, the spokesperson said.