Delhi HC issues notice NIA on plea of 4 JeM terrorists

The Delhi High Court issues a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on appeals filed by four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives. They have challenged their sentence given by the trail court in November 2022. The division bench consisting of Justices Sidharth Mridul and Talwant Singh issued notice to NIA and directed to file a reply within four weeks. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 24. The counsel for the appellants submitted that they had pleaded guilty before the trial court.

They were given life imprisonment to the appellants for recruiting and training youths across the country for terror activities in India. Special Judge Shailender Malik sentenced appellants Sajjad Ahmed Khan, Bilal Ahmed Mir, Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat and Mehraj-ud-din Chopan to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty in the case.

The Special Judge while passing judgement had noted that all the convicts were in conspiracy with each other to wage war against India. He noted, “It came in evidence collected during the investigation that accused persons and other suspects joined JeM, a terrorist organization which is Pakistan-based terrorist group archive in the area of Kashmir, Pakistan, and Punjab and its chief is Maulana Masood Azhar”.