NIA Special Court Sentences Seven in Bengaluru Prison Radicalization Case Linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba
New Delhi, April 22, 2026:- A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sentenced seven individuals involved in the 2023 Bengaluru prison radicalization case, which was linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit. Among those sentenced is the mastermind, T Naseer, a life convict and member of LeT.
The other six accused—Syed Suhail Khan, Mohammed Umar, Zahid Tabrez, Syed Mudassir Pasha, Mohammed Faisal Rabbani, and Salman Khan—were each handed seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
In addition to jail time, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 48,000 on the convicts under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosives Substances Act.
The legal proceedings reached this conclusion after the accused pleaded guilty to charges related to a terror conspiracy hatched within the Parapanna Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.
Under the leadership of Naseer, the group focused on identifying, recruiting, and radicalizing vulnerable youth held in the prison to execute future terror activities across India.
The investigation revealed that Naseer, who was an under-trial for the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast cases at the time, had also planned a larger conspiracy to facilitate his own escape while being transported between the prison and the court.
The case originated in July 2023 when the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) seized arms, ammunition, and digital devices from several habitual offenders who were planning strikes in Bengaluru City.
Following the NIA’s takeover of the investigation, 11 individuals were chargesheeted. Notably, Salman Khan was brought to justice after being successfully extradited from the Republic of Rwanda through coordinated efforts between the NIA and Rwandan authorities.
While seven individuals have now been sentenced, the NIA continues its efforts to track and arrest the remaining absconder identified as Junaid Ahmed.