South India terror: 1 held guilty by special NIA court

Chennai, July 31: A special court of the National Investigation Agency has held one Mohammad Saleem guilty of criminal conspiracy, possession of high quality counterfeit Indian currency and acts of terror. The verdict was delivered after Saleem pleaded guilty.

The case pertains to the criminal conspiracy hatched by Mohamed Saleem and others along with the then officials of the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka during early 2014 with the intention of causing explosion at the US Consulate and other places of public congregation in Chennai besides other installations in South India. The accused had also procured high quality counterfeit Indian currency notes for meeting the expenses towards such terrorist activities.

Sri Lankan national Mohamed Sakir Hussain, who had arrived in Chennai to carry out terrorist acts, as per the instructions from his handlers in the Pakistan High Commission, Colombo was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police.

Later, accused Mohamed Saleem and Sivabalan (A-5) were arrested when they were found to be in possession of fake currency. The case was later transferred to the NIA.

In this case, NIA has also filed supplementary charge sheet against the then Pakistan High Commission Colombo official Amir Zubair Siddiqui, who continues to be an absconder.