5 LeT operatives accused of Mumbai attacks charge sheeted

RAWALPINDI: A charge sheet against five LeT operatives accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks, including its operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was filed before anti-terror 2 by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The trial resumed Saturday following the appointment of Justice Baqir Ali Rana as the new judge for anti-terror court number 2 in Rawalpindi.

Special Public Prosecutor Malik Rab Nawaz Noon represented the federal government.

The investigators from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which probed the Mumbai attacks, submitted the chargesheet to the court, which stated that the five accused provided transport, accommodation, computer network, financial assistance and boats to the Mumbai attackers.

The five accused -- Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu al Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz and Hamad Amin Sadiq were given copies of the second and supplementary chargesheet.

The accused were represented by their councils Sardar Tariq Masood and Khawaja Masood.

One of the accused Shahid Jamil Riaz told the court that the information and documents submitted before the court are incomplete and false and he should be given a chance to prove himself innocent.

He submitted an application before the court that he should be provided access to all the records of the investigation.

The court also declaring 7 culprits -Abu Hamza, Kafa, Mohammad Amjad Kahn, Riaz Ahmed, Mohammad Mushtaq, Mohammad Sabir Salfi, Abdul Shakoor, Mohammad Suleman, Attiq ur Rehman and Mohammad Younis as proclaimed offenders and issued their for life warrants.

The judge adjourned till July 25 the trial, which is being held in-camera in the high-security Adiala Jail.

It is expected that the five Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives would be formally indicted at the next hearing

There had been no movement in the case since May 23 as Justice Sakhi Muhammad Kahut, who was earlier hearing the matter, was removed as part of judicial reforms.

A new dossier on the Mumbai attacks handed over by Pakistan to India last week states that the LeT was responsible for the assault. It also says that Lakhvi was the mastermind of the attacks.

The trial of the five LeT operatives is being held in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security reasons.