NIA Secures Six-Day Custody of Suspects in Prison Radicalisation Case

Rapid Summary

• A special court in Bengaluru granted the NIA six-day custody of three individuals arrested in connection with the 2023 prison radicalisation case.
• The three arrested include:

– Anees Fathima, mother of Junaid Ahmed, who is absconding.
– Nagaraj, a psychiatrist at Bengaluru Central Prison.
– Chand Pasha,Assistant Sub-Inspector in the City Armed Reserve,North.

• The arrests followed NIA-led raids at five locations across Bengaluru and Kolar districts.
• Fathima allegedly acted as a facilitator between her son, Junaid Ahmed, and T. Naseer (a lifetime convict tied to terror cases).
• Nagaraj reportedly smuggled mobile phones for inmates like Naseer inside the prison, while Chand Pasha allegedly provided confidential escort information about Naseer’s court appearances in exchange for money.
• background:

– The case surfaced after the CCB police arrested five associates of Junaid for plotting terror attacks and seized grenades during their investigation in northern Bengaluru in 2023.
– Junaid was previously implicated in criminal activities, including a businessman’s murder (2017) and red sanders smuggling (2021). He is suspected to be radicalised by T. Naseer during judicial custody.

Published: july 09, 2025.

Indian Opinion Analysis

This development highlights persistent concerns about vulnerabilities within India’s prison system that can enable radicalisation or even criminal collusion. Allegations against staff members such as Chand Pasha and nagaraj indicate potential exploitation of institutional gaps or corruption for personal gain. If proven accurate, these infractions could have jeopardised national security by enabling heightened interaction among accused terrorists.The case also underscores challenges law enforcement faces when addressing deep-rooted connections between organised crime networks and terrorist entities such as Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliates. Investigations like these are critical not only to dismantle existing links but also to identify procedural safeguards needed within prisons to prevent recurrences.

for broader implications beyond this specific instance, steps toward accountability-both individual-level misdeeds and systemic lapses-will likely set precedents useful across India’s correctional systems amidst evolving security dynamics.

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