Wanted LeT operative brought back from Rwanda

At the instance of the NIA, the CBI had got an Interpol Red Notice issued against the accused, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative on August 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

The Global Operations Centre of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has coordinated with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Interpol National Central Bureau-Kigali for securing the return of a terror case accused from Rwanda.

Also read: India seeks extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed from Pakistan

The accused has been identified as Salman Rehman Khan, who was wanted as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative in a case registered last year by the NIA.

“The subject being a member of an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation LeT had assisted in providing arms, ammunition, and explosives to further terrorist activities in Bengaluru,” said the CBI.

At the instance of the NIA, the CBI had got an Interpol Red Notice issued against the accused on August 2, 2024, and it was circulated to all the law enforcement agencies globally for tracking him. “The subject was subsequently geolocated in Rwanda with close assistance from the Interpol National Central Bureau – Kigali. He was returned to India on November 28 by a security team from the NIA,” the CBI said.

Accused involved in terror recruitment

IThe NIA said the accused was involved in the” terror radicalisation and recruitment” case of Bengaluru Central Prison.

He is the 17th accused to be extradited/deported in major NIA cases since 2020.

The Red Notice proceedings against him emanated from the case registered by the NIA on October 25, 2023, after taking over the probe from the Bengaluru City police. The NIA found that, previously imprisoned in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, (2018–2022), the accused had facilitated the collection and distribution of explosives for other terror accused after being radicalised and recruited, during his incarceration, by T. Naseer, a life convict in a terror case.

“Naseer had orchestrated the radicalisation and subsequent criminal activities, including plans to facilitate his own escape en route to a court from the prison and a conspiracy to further the operations of the proscribed terrorist organization LeT,’ the NIA said.

Salman had fled the country after the terror conspiracy/module was busted, and was declared a fugitive. He was subsequently chargesheeted by the NIA.

“Marking similar success in global collaboration in criminal cases, the NIA had earlier managed to get Khalistani terrorists Tarsem Singh Sandhu and Bikramjit Singh extradited from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Austria,” it said.

Last month, alleged terrorist Baljeet Singh aka Baljeet was deported from the UAE in a Khalistan Tiger Force terror conspiracy case; Vikramjit Singh Brar, Manpreet Singh aka Peeta, Amritpal Singh aka Ammy, Amrik Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Ratheesh, were other dreaded “terrorists” deported from the UAE and the Philippines in 2023 in various cases, the NIA said.

The CBI added that in another case, Red Notice subject Barkat Ali Khan — who was wanted by the CBI in a case registered in 2012 –iwas tracked down to Saudi Arabia through Interpol channels and brought back on November 14, 2024. He is wanted for offences of rioting and use of explosive substances.

Earlier, the CBI had also coordinated the return of Raihan Arabikkalalarikkal, a Red Notice subject wanted in a case filed by Kerala police in Mannarkkad, for allegedly committing rape and sexual offences against a minor. A Red Notice was published against the subject on December 27, 2023, on the police request. He was also brought back from Saudi Arabia on November 10.

Since 2021, as many as 100 wanted criminals, including 26 this year, have been returned to India through the Interpol channels, according to the CBI.