Pulwama terror attack accused JeM operative files bail plea to appear for NEET exam

Days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed its chargesheet in the Pulwama terror attack, an accused has sought bail citing that he wants to appear for the upcoming NEET exam. The accused identified as Waiz-ul-Islam, has been linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit and is presently in NIA custody. The bail is set to be heard on September 3 while NIA counsel Vipin Kalra has affirmed that the investigating agency will oppose the application. The NEET exam, which is a competitive exam to acquire a seat in medical colleges across the country, is set to be held on September 13. 

Next hearing on Sept 15

On August 25, NIA filed a 13,500-page chargesheet in February 14, 2019 Pulwama terror attack and named several Pakistani nationals as accused in the case. Apart from Waiz-ul-Islam, others named in the charge sheet include Pakistani nationals Rouf Asgar Alvi, Ammar Alvi, Mohd Ismail, Muhammad Umar Farooq, Mohd Kamran Ali, and Qari Yasir. 

READ | Pulwama Attack: NIA Files Chargesheet, Names Masood Azhar, Rauf Asgar As Key Conspirators

Out of the 19 names in the charge sheet, 7 are said to be in NIA's custody, another 7 are said to have been encountered by the forces, and 5 are said to be in Pakistan. The 7 JeM operatives under NIA's custody include Mohammad Abbas Rather, Tariq Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Iqbal Rather,  Shakir Bashir Magrey, Waiz-ul-Islam, Insha Jan, and Bilal Ahmed Kuchey. 

Next hearing in the case is set for September 15. As per sources, statements of all accused have been recorded and key-conspirator Masood Azhar will be declared as an absconder by the special NIA court in the next few days. 

READ | 'Pak Sheltering Pulwama Attack Accused Masood Azad': MEA Says 'enough Evidence Shared'

The Pulwama Terror Attack

At around 3 pm on February 14, 2019, a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist drove an explosive-laden SUV into a convoy of vehicles carrying CRPF personnel on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. This resulted in the killing of 40 CRPF personnel. As per reports, around 80 kg of explosives were used for the attack.

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According to NIA sources, Pakistan used Adil Ahmad Dar, a local resident who rammed an explosive-laden car into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, as a suicide bomber to project the attack as a result of a home-grown militancy against “India’s occupation of Kashmir”.

Around 12 days after the terror attack, in the wee hours of February 26, Indian Air Force (IAF) jets had bombed the JeM camp in Balakot, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as a retaliation to the cowardly attack. 

READ | Pulwama Attack: NIA Set To File Chargesheet On Tuesday, Pakistan-backed Terrorists Named