Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a charge-sheet against three residents of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district for allegedly recruiting youth into LeT outfit.

The chargesheet was filed against tur accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat son of Abdul Hameed Bhat, resident of Village Nanibugh, Kulgam and Junaid Ahmad Mattoo son of Manzoor Ahmad Mattoo and Umer Rashid Wani son of Abdul Rashid Wani both residents of Village Khudwani, Kulgam at NIA court in Jammu under section 120(B) of Ranbir Penal Code, Sections 13 (2), 18, 39 and 40 of UAPA, a police statement said.

The chargesheet comes nearly 3 years after an FIR was registered into the case at Police station Kulgam pertaining to “subversive activities of LeT in Kulgam district whereby it was motivating youth such as accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat and others to join Lashkar-e-Toiba and organized their travel to Pakistan for militant training on the basis of valid travel documents on the recommendation of separatist leaders”.
The NIA took over the case on September 25, 2018 and re-registered a case of its own.

The police statement stated that investigation by NIA “established that LeT militant Junaid Ahmad Mattoo motivated accused Muneeb Hameed Bhat to join LeT and go to Pakistan for militant training”.
Another LeT militant Umer Rashid Wani gave him funds to meet the expenses of his Pakistan visit, police said.

As per police Muneeb visited Pakistan in July-August, 2017 on valid travel documents for militant training with the assistance of separatist leaders.
“He was imparted weapons training and also training for using secret social media chat platforms, ” the statement added.
It said that after returning from Pakistan, “he remained constantly in touch with LeT handlers in Pakistan and active militants of Kulgam area on secret messaging platforms for carrying out subversive and militant activities in Kashmir valley”. Police said that Muneeb was working as a “sleeper cell of LeT and further intended to join the militant ranks in militant organisation LeT”.
As per police, investigation has also established that during the year 2016 to 2018, “many Kashmiri youth were sent by separatist leaders to Pakistan on Valid Travel Documents for getting militant training with active assistance of the commanders of militant groups”.
Police said the youth “got militant training in the militant camps of Pakistan for period ranging from 5 to 15 days”.
“After returning, they are initially used as sleeper cells by militant organisations and subsequently recruited for active militancy, ” it said.

As per police, Junaid Ahmed Mattoo and Umer Rashid Wani were killed in separate encounters in J&K in 2017 and 2018.

It said that further investigation in the case is going on.(GNS)

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