MUMBAI: A special NIA court here today framed charges against five persons accused of having links with Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-E-Taiba and hatching a conspiracy to carry out killings in India to cause communal strife.
"The court framed charges against Mohammed Muzzammil, Mohammed Sadique, Mohammed Iliyas, Mohammed Irfan and Mohammed Akram under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and for criminal conspiracy (under IPC)," said an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Five others have been shown as wanted accused. The framing of charges paves the way for the start of the trial.
Maharashtra ATS had said it had arrested the accused in 2012 before they could execute the conspiracy. Later, NIA took over the probe.
According to the central agency, Akram came in contact with LeT operatives in India, and at their behest travelled to Saudi Arabia on the pretext of having got a job there.
In Saudi Arabia, he met LeT and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) operatives (shown as wanted accused) and hatched a conspiracy to kill prominent "Hindu leaders, journalists, politicians and police officers" in various parts of India, including Hyderabad and Nanded in Maharashtra.
The intention was to cause communal strife and "threaten the unity, integrity, security, sovereignty of India and strike terror in the mind of the people," the charge sheet said.