Seven individuals charged in the 2023 Bengaluru Central Prison terror conspiracy case, including Lashkar-e-Taiba associate Thadiyantavide Naseer, 47, have submitted pleas admitting guilt before the special court handling terrorism cases in Bengaluru.
The court formally recorded their applications and confirmed the statements were filed willingly without any coercion. Alongside Naseer, the others who pleaded guilty are Syed Suhail (24), Mohammed Umar (30), Zahid Tabrez (27), Syed Mudassir Pasha (29), Mohammed Faisal (29), and Salman Khan (29).
These seven are part of 12 total accused in the case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They invoked Section 229 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which enables conviction based solely on a confession without undergoing a prolonged trial.
The accused allegedly conspired to radicalise inmates between 2017 and 2023, persuading them to embrace jihad after release. The NIA alleges Naseer facilitated arms procurement and plotted to escape custody while advancing LeT objectives.
On July 8, the NIA detained three more individuals: Anees Fathima (mother of fugitive Junaid Ahmed), psychiatrist Dr. Nagaraj S, and ASI Chan Pasha. Authorities claim Fathima moved funds for the plotters, while Dr. Nagaraj smuggled mobile phones into the prison and Pasha provided information on prisoner escorts in exchange for bribes.
Naseer was previously convicted in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts and sentenced in 2018 for attending a SIMI terror training camp.
Prosecutors have noted that several terror-accused in Karnataka prisons opt to plead guilty, hoping for quicker sentences and release after long pre-trial incarceration.