Kerala - Kannur   

PCCR seeks probe by National Investigation Agency

KANNUR: The Thalassery-based People’s Council for Civil Rights (PCCR) has asked the Union Home Ministry to order an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case relating to the alleged operation of terror modules in the State having links with Jammu and Kashmir-based terrorist outfits. It said the offences charged against the 23 accused are scheduled offences under the National Investigation Act, 2008.

The PCCR has demanded re-investigation of Crime No. 356/08 registered at the Edakkad police station here, which had submitted charge-sheets against 23 persons in the case awaiting trial before the Additional Sessions judge at Thalassery. In a representation to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran, the PCCR demanded that a special court be constituted for the trial under the Act.

The police joint investigation team (JIT) headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police V.K. Akbar had investigated and chargesheeted the accused alleging offences under Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and the Indian Penal Code following the killing of four youth from the State by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The case against the accused, including four persons killed in the encounter, was that they, in association with activists of the Leshkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had worked together in the Kashmir forest areas and participated in a training camp and conspired to wage war against the country. The accused were also charged with recruiting youth from the State to impart them training in terrorist camps. Four of the accused killed in three encounters in Jammu and Kashmir in October 2008 were Yasin, Fayas, Shakeer and Fayees.

PCCR president T. Asaf Ali said at a press conference here on Saturday that during the course of the investigation, the police had recorded the statement of three LeT militants named Fias Ahmad, Sajjad Ahmed Roshi and Shabeer Ahmed under Section 161 of Cr. PC. They had stated that they had worked in the banned LeT and actively participated in the training camp in Kashmir imparting training to seven Pakistanis, five Keralites and three Kashmiris. It was shocking to learn that in spite of the incriminating evidence disclosed in the testimonies given by the three hardcore militants, the JIT had chosen to figure them only as witnesses instead of implicating them in the case.

He said all the offences charged against the 23 accused were scheduled offences under the Act and therefore the State police had no power to investigate it. Under the Act, a special court should be constituted to try the case relating to the scheduled offences. He said the PCCR would approach the High Court if the authorities would not order fresh inquiry by the NIA.

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