LeT terrorist Mohammed Naved Yakub makes confessional statement before a court

JAMMU: LeT terrorist Mohammed Naved Yakub, a resident of Pakistan, made a confessional statement before a magistrate here today regarding the role of the terror outfit in carrying out strikes like the Udhampur attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Under tight security, Naved, in his early 20s, was brought before a magistrate here this morning where the judge asked him whether he was giving the confessional statement under any duress or voluntarily, official sources said.

After receiving answers in affirmative that he was willingly giving the state, the judge sent him back to jail and asked him to come after lunch, they said.

He was produced before the judge at 1 PM and the recording of his statement continued till 4.30 PM during which he is understood to have given his family background, role of Lashker-e-Taiba terror group, his handlers in the Kashmir valley and execution of August five attack on BSF convoy in which two personnel were killed.

Naved had given a written consent in Urdu before Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 24 that he wanted to give a confessional statement before a court.

The confessional statement under 164 criminal procedure code.

Naved along with his accomplice Mohammed Noman alias Momin had carried out a terror strike on a BSF convoy on August five in Udhampur killing two personnel of the border guarding force. Momin was killed in retaliatory fire while Naved was foxed and nabbed by two villagers whom he wanted to kidnap.

Ahead of recording of his statement, the accused was kept in judicial custody away from the NIA and other sleuths for a mandatory 48 hours for him to get an opportunity to rethink whether or not he wanted to give a confessional statement suo-motu.

Naved was extensively questioned for over a fortnight by NIA and sleuths of intelligence agencies during which he identified the truck driver Khursheed Ahmed Bhat, who had since been arrested.

The Lashker terrorist also provided a picture of Abu Qassim, terror outfit's South Kashmir-based commander, on whom the agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh to any information leading to his arrest.

NIA has released a photograph of one of the accused identified as Abu Okasha, a resident of Khyber Paktukhwa in Pakistan. The agency also announced a cash reward of Rs five lakh on information leading to his arrest.

A similar cash reward has been announced for the fourth accomplice Zhargham who infiltrated into India with Naved and others from Gulmarg sector in the valley.