Kochi police seek NIA probe into Nazeer's emails to Pakistan

KOCHI: Kochi city police have sought for NIA probe into the case wherein suspected Lakshkar-e-Taiba operative Thadiyantavide Nazeer sent emails to Pakistan through his aide Shahanas.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police Ernakulam, who is the investigation officer of the case, has submitted a report to city police commissioner M P Dinesh referring to the handover of the case.
Confirming the receipt of the report, the police commissioner said that it will be thoroughly studied before forwarding to the state police headquarters.
“Based on the findings of the inquiry, the investigation officer has suggested that the case, given its nature, needs to be probed by a national agency like NIA. The report will be forwarded to the higher-ups after a scrutiny," said Dinesh.
Latest to the developments in the case, the investigation team had found that Allapra native Shahanas, on behalf of Nazeer, sent e-mails to a Pakistani national seeking support and funds for terror operations in India.
“The accused in the case are found to have connections with Pakistan nationals and they had sent mails seeking support and money for terrorist activities in the country. Several documents seized from the accused also indicate them planning anti-national activities," said a police official who was part of the probe.
The emails were sent by Shahanas based on the direction of Nazeer, who is lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru. In one of the six letters handed over to Shahanas from prison, Nazeer instructed him to send the emails seeking financial aid and other helps from foreign countries . A person in Pakistan received the emails and even replied in the affirmative for one of them.
The police had registered fresh cases against the duo and the receiver of the mail under sections 120 (b), 121 of IPC and sections 17, 18, 19 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The letters were found from Shahanas, when he was arrested by the city police from Ernakulam north railway station on November 14. He was arrested while attempting to meet Nazeer, who was being taken back to Bengaluru after produced before a court here.
In other letters, Nazeer had directed Shahanas to convince prosecution witnesses in 2008-Bengaluru blast case. The city police registered cases against the two in this regard.
Apart from the letters, the police also seized five phones and seven SIM cards from Shahanas, which were given to him by Nazeer at Bengaluru prison. The police had also recovered a handcuff key given by Nazeer from Shahanas’ home at Allapra in Perumbavoor.