NIA opposes bail plea of key Indian Mujahideen operative, says may flee from country

The bail plea, scheduled for hearing on Thursday before NIA special court in Delhi, got adjourned for September months, Ansari's lawyers said. The NIA had in 2013 arrested Ansari, allegedly a close aide of Yasin Bhatkal (one of the founders of Indian Mujahideen) from Darbhanga. 

Advocate MS Khan, Quasar Khan and Ajit Karna are the counsel representing Danish Ansari. NIA in its reply filed in response to bail petition stated that Danish Ansari had been trained in pistol firing and an experiment of a bomb blast was carried out by him near the fields of Sara Mohanpur area in Darbhanga. 

"He committed the offense of establishing of terrorist camp for imparting training to their cadre members in furtherance of their conspiracy to wage war against the Centre. Further, on analysing the call data relating to him, it transpired that he had stayed in Delhi and was in regular touch with other IM operatives," the NIA replies read. The probe agency stated that during the investigation, it was ascertained that Danish Ansari was recruited and indoctrinated by IM operative Yasin Bhatkal with the assistance of Tahseen Akhtar and Kafeel Akhtar. 

After being inducted with IM, Ansari regularly visited the hideouts of the IM located at Sara Mohanpur. Danish Ansari had closely worked with Yashin Bhatkal and also met several other IM operatives at the hideouts of IM at Sara Mohanpur, it said. NIA strongly opposed the bail plea and mentioned that sufficient pieces of evidence have been collected against the accused. 

"If Danish Ansari is enlarged on bail at this stage, there is every possibility that he may tamper with the collection of evidence and he may also threaten or harm the witnesses who are vital for the prosecution of all the accused persons in the instant case. Further, he may flee the country, as there are 17 absconders in the instant case," NIA stated. Earlier, investigation agencies also claimed that Danish Ansari provided shelter to Bhatkal, who is on the run. 

The NIA is investigating a criminal case registered against the terrorist activities of the proscribed terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen under Sections 121A and 123 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and under Sections 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.