The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against six accused persons, one of the dead, regarding the recovery of a Pakistani drone with UBGL rounds and sticky bombs in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir in May 2022.
The chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court Jammu against six accused persons under sections 120B, 121A & 122 of IPC, sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38, 39 & 40 of UA (P) Act, 1967, sections 25(1)(a) & 25(1AA) of the Arms Act and sections 4 & 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.
The case was initially registered as FIR (No. 114/2022) dated 29 May 2022 at police station Rajbagh, Kathua, and re-registered by NIA on 30 May 2022.
The investigations revealed that on directions of the accused, Sajjad Gul, the Pakistani handler, the accused used to collect, receive and transport the weapons dropped by drones, to the terrorists active in Kashmir Valley as part of the conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India.
Those chargesheeted include Faisal Muneer, son of late Sadiq Hussain of Talab Khatikan, Peer Meetha, Jammu, Habib, Son of Haji Sheru of Hari-a-Chak, Marheen, Kathua, Mian Sohail, son of Mian Younis of Chainpur Rajbagh Kathua, Muni Mohammad (deceased), son of Late Ghulam Hussain of Rampur Haria Chak Marheen Kathua, Rashid, son of Ali Mohammad of Haria Chak Mahreen Kathua and Sajjad Gul alias Sheikh Sajjad alias Sheikh Sajad alias Sheikh Sajad Gul alias Sajjad Ahmed Sheikh alias Hamza alias Albert alias Raymond Green alias Donald Green alias Bhaijan, son of Ghulam Ahmed of Ansari Lane No. 2, Rose Avenue Colony HMT, Shalteng, Srinagar.
Pak drone with grenades, and sticky bombs, shot down in May 2022
Jammu and Kashmir Police on May 29, 2022, foiled a major terror plan by shooting down a Pakistani drone in Kathua district's Talli Hariya Chak village in Hiranagar, just 3 km from the International Border (IB).
After observing a drone's movement near IB, cops opened fire at it, bringing it down. As the drone was found to have a payload attachment, bomb disposal experts were called. They separated the payload attachment from the flying machine and found seven sticky cum magnetic-type bombs, besides an equal number of grenades.
NIA is investigating arms-dropping cases
The National Investigation Agency is investigating half a dozen cases in J&K and Punjab related to drone use by terror outfits to drop payloads in India for terrorist activities.
Security forces have noticed at least 300 drone intrusions in 2022 alone, almost three times more than in 2021 when 97 drone intrusions were recorded.
In most cases, it was found that low-cost drones, mostly procured from China and assembled in Pakistan, were crossing over to drop weapons and military-grade explosive RDX, detonators, grenades, assembled and semi-assembled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as tiffin and sticky bombs, besides drugs, fake currency among others.
