Mohali NIA court frames charges against 10, including HM overground worker, in narco-terror case

The NIA took over the investigation and registered the case again on May 8, 2020. The central agency filed the charge sheet in the case in 2021.

The accused were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). (File Photo)

The special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Punjab’s Mohali framed charges against 10 people, including a Kashmir resident, in a case related to narcotics and terrorism. The accused were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Special NIA judge Manjot Kaur charged Hilal Ahmed Shergojri, Bikram Singh, Maninder Singh, Ranjit Singh, Jaswant Singh, Gurjant Singh alias Ashish, Ranjeet Singh alias Rana, Gagandeep Singh, Gursant Singh alias Gora, and Manpreet Singh under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence), 419 (cheating by personation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 489-C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency or banknote) of the IPC.

Hilal Ahmed, Bikram Singh, Ranjeet Singh alias Rana, Gagandeep Singh, Gursant Singh, and Manpreet Singh, who are in custody, were produced through video conferencing.

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While framing the charges the court observed, “Arguments on framing of charge have been heard. Record perused. After going through the record and documents accompanying therewith and hearing learned Public Prosecutor for the NIA and defence counsels, prima-facie offences are made out against the accused for which they are charge-sheeted; contents of the charge are read over and explained to all the accused (accused Hilal Ahmed, Bikram Singh, Ranjeet Singh alias Rana, Gagandeep Singh, Gursant Singh alias Gora and Manpreet Singh through video conference in presence of their counsels), to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial”.

The court said, “Let the evidence of the prosecution be summoned for June 6. The accused, who are in custody, be produced through video conferencing on the said date.”

This case was first registered on April 25, 2020, at Police Station Sadar, Amritsar City, relating to the arrest of Hilal Ahmad Shergojri, the seizure of a truck and the recovery of Rs. 29 lakh from his possession. According to the police, Shergojri was an overground worker and a close associate of Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo, the then commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in Kashmir, and had come to Amritsar to collect funds that were proceeds of narcotics sale, for furthering terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA, which took over the investigation and registered the case again on May 8, 2020, filed a charge sheet in the case in 2021.

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