Nirupama Subramanian

Stage set for formal indictment in 26/11 case

 

A page from Pakistan’s dossier on its investigation into the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. ISLAMABAD: With a new judge now in place, the Pakistani anti-terror court hearing the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks case was able to resume on Saturday pre-trial proceedings against the five arrested suspects including the Laskhar-e-Taiba operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.The Federal Investigations Agency submitted a “challan” or charge sheet against the five men who are in its custody for their suspected involvement in the attacks, and 12 others who have been declared “proclaimed offenders.”

Five in custody

 

The five men in custody are Lakhvi, who is described as the mastermind; Zarar Shah, who is described as a “facilitator and expert of computer networks”; Hammad Amin Sadiq, who is charged with “facilitating funds and hideouts” for the attackers; Abu al Qama, described as a “handler”; and, Shahid Jamil Riaz who is described both as a facilitator for funds and a crew member of a boat used by the attackers.

This is the second “challan” that the FIA has submitted in the court. The first was submitted in early May.

Incomplete challan

 

Special prosecutor Malik Rabnawaz Noon, who appeared on behalf of the government, told The Hindu that the first challan “was incomplete, so we submitted a second one with more documents.”

It is on the basis of the challans that the court will frame charges and formally indict the five men.

ATC 2, where the case is being heard inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, was without a judge for more than a month after Sakhi Mohammed Kahut was removed in a reshuffle. Baqir Ali Rana is the new judge, and it is unlikely that he can take up the task of indictment at the next hearing, fixed for July 25.

He has to first hear two applications, one by the government for in-camera proceedings, and the other by Hammad Sadiq’s lawyer —Shabaz Rajput — who was allowed access to the proceedings for the first time.

Copies sought

 

Mr. Rajput has sought copies of both challans submitted by the FIA. Under the law, the government has to ensure that he gets these at least seven days before the indictment.

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