BENGALURU: The Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bengaluru sentenced Vikram Kumar alias Chhota Usman, accused number 9 in the conspiracy to free T Naseer – the Kerala-origin mastermind behind the Bengaluru serial blasts and a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist – from prison, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 on him under terrorism charges.
Kumar, hailing from Begusarai in Bihar, had pleaded guilty in the case. He came in contact with Naseer while lodged in Bengaluru Central prison in connection with the Noor murder case in 2017-18. During his time in jail, he was influenced by Naseer and later converted to Islam, changing his name to Usman. Even after his release from prison, he maintained constant contact with Naseer and members of other extremist outfits.
After his release from jail, Usman, who was following Naseer’s instructions, devised a plan to free the terrorist. Along with co-accused Junaid Ahmed and Salman Khan, he began collecting explosives. Their primary plan was to attack a police vehicle while terrorists were being transported either to court for hearings or to hospitals for treatment, kill the police personnel, and free Naseer.
As part of their plan, the gang procured grenades from Ambala in Haryana. They also arranged deadly weapons and vehicles required for the attack. The details came to light during the NIA investigation.
In January 2025 the NIA chargesheeted Kumar under section 120B of IPC, sections 17, 18, 20, 23, and 39 of UAPA and section 120B read with section 6 of the Explosive Substances Act.