3 min readNew DelhiMay 18, 2016 01:43 AM IST
First published on: May 18, 2016 at 01:43 AM IST
Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf, Jan and Latif are being touted as the main culprits into the deadly attack on the Indian Air Force base.
The Interpol has issued two Red Corner Notices (RCN) against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Abdul Rauf who India suspects plotted the attack on the Pathankot airbase.
Read | ‘Handler’ Latif pushed back to Pak after ’93 Hazratbal siege, was deported in 2010
Both already have RCNs pending against them in connection with terror activities. Sources said the new RCNs were issued by Interpol on May 13 and uploaded on its website.
Read: No reply to query, NIA writes to Pakistan: Allow us to visit for Pathankot probe
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) now plans to ask Interpol to issue similar RCNs against Shahid Latif and Kashif Jaan who played crucial roles in execution of the Pathankot attack.
Read | Pak team’s visit: India did not demand reciprocal access
The RCNs against Azhar and Rauf were issued after the NIA secured an ‘open-ended’ non-bailable warrant against them for conspiring to carry out the Pathankot terror strike.
[related-post]
An RCN is already pending against 48-year-old Azhar for being involved in the conspiracy behind the attacks on Parliament House and the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. A similar warrant is pending against 41-year-old Rauf in connection with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar.
Azhar was in an Indian jail until 1999 when he was released in exchange for the passengers of IC-814.
The fresh warrants were issued on the basis of evidence presented by the NIA before a special court in Chandigarh which included telephonic conversations between the terrorists and Jaish handlers including Jaan and Latif.
A video of Rauf was also presented in court. In the video, which was uploaded on a website in Pakistan, Rauf had claimed responsibility for the attack and complimented his men for it. The video was later removed and the website also vanished.
The NIA sought voice samples of Azhar and three others from Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which came to India in March to probe the Pathankot attack.
India had pitched for banning Azhar at the United Nations but the move was vetoed by China. After the return of its JIT, Pakistan did not reply to letters rogatory seeking legal assistance in probing the Pathankot attack.
Seven security personnel were killed and bodies of four terrorists were recovered from the scene of the encounter which lasted nearly 80 hours.
Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf, Jan and Latif are being touted as the main culprits into the deadly attack on the Indian Air Force base.
Share
