NIA searches 17 places across 7 states in Bengaluru prison radicalisation case

New Delhi: The NIA on Tuesday searched 17 locations in seven states in connection with a case related to radicalisation of prisoners by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist in a Bengaluru prison, a spokesperson of the agency said.

The Bengaluru City Police had originally registered the case following the seizure of arms and ammunition, including seven pistols, four hand grenades, one magazine and 45 live rounds, and four walkie-talkies in July last year.

Five people were initially arrested and their interrogation had led to the arrest of one more, taking the total arrests in the case to six.

The LeT operative and kingpin, T Nasir, who radicalised these five people in the central jail in Bengaluru, is an accused in the case along with Junaid Ahmed, who is at large.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case in October last year and had conducted searches then, including at Ahmed’s house.

The NIA spokesperson said that raids were being carried out at 17 locations in seven states on Tuesday.