Mumbai: The National Investigative Agency (NIA) claims to have foiled a possible terror attack in Varanasi as it caught one of the most terrorists known as ‘Headley II’.
Abdul Naeem Shaikh alias Sameer has been absconding since 2014, with authorities declaring a prize money of Rs 20,000 for information about him. The Bombay High Court had also ordered the constitution of Special Investigation Team (SIT) to search for Naeem after his mother alleged that the Maharashtra ATS had possibly killed her son in an extra-judicial encounter.
Naeem hails from Aurangabad in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. In 2014, his mother Qamar Nasreen filed a habeas corpus petition before the Bombay HC. According to reports, Nasreen and her other son held a press conference in Marathwada city, alleging that Maharashtra ATS had shot Naeem.
“They had told us that the authorities should either admit to it or find Naeem,” a senior reporter told News18.
While talking to the court, authorities claimed that Naeem had escaped from a slow-moving train, when he was being brought from West Bengal to Mumbai. He was to be produced in the Aurangabad Arms haul case. Thereafter, the Bombay High Court ordered the formation of a SIT, which was appointed on September 19, 2016, to be headed by Joint Director of CBI, Chhattisgarh. The SIT consisted of Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra, Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh and Director General of Police, West Bengal.
On January 13, this year, the SIT informed the court that Naeem has crossed the border. It also was awaiting permissions to prosecute six Chhattisgarh police personnel for negligence, leading to the escape.
“The petition is filed in the year 2014. The petitioner's son is wanted accused in Criminal Cases in the State of Chhattisgarh, State of Maharashtra, State of Andhra Pradesh and State of West Bengal. He is also accused in Crime No. 8 of 2014 for offence punishable under Section 224 of the Indian Penal Code registered with Raigarh Government Railway Police Station, Chhattisgarh, as well as in MCOCA Case No. 16 of 2016 at Mumbai,” a Bombay High Court order had stated then.
The court had disposed the petition on January 25, 2017, stating, “The discussion made, hereinabove, would show that the petitioner's son was accused in serious offences and while he was being escorted to be produced before MCOC Court in Mumbai, he escaped and has crossed the border.”
Local police personnel told News18 that Naeem’s father was a state government servant and that his brother is a doctor. According to sources, he had once returned to India from Nepal after his bid to enter Pakistan from there had failed. Eventually, though, he did undergo training in Pakistan.
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