4 Jaish Terrorists Challenge Life Sentences, Probe Agency Gets Court Notice

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on appeals filed by four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives who have challenged the sentence awarded to them by the trial court last November.

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 terrorists submitted that they had pleaded guilty before the trial court.

A Special NIA court in Delhi in November had awarded life imprisonment to the appellants for recruiting and training youth across the country for terror activities.

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 court had sentenced another convict Tanveer Ahmed Ganie to 5 years' rigorous imprisonment under different sections.

The Special Judge while passing judgement had noted that all the convicts were in conspiracy with each other to wage war against India.

He had noted, "It came in evidence collected during the investigation that accused persons and other suspects joined JeM, a terrorist organisation which is Pakistan-based terrorist group active in the area of Kashmir, Pakistan Punjab and its chief is Maulana Masood Azhar."

"JeM is a banned organization even in Pakistan because of its terrorist activities. Since its inception in 2000, the said organisation has been involved in many terrorist activities in different parts of the world. Pakistan nationals and JeM operatives formed by Maulana Masood Azhar hijacked Indian Airline Flight IC-814 in December 1999 demanding release of Maulana Masood Azhar," noted the court.

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