Bengaluru’s special NIA court delivered a decisive blow to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s insidious network on Thursday, handing down a seven-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to Vikram Kumar alias Chota Usman. This conviction in the 2023 jail radicalization conspiracy makes him the eighth person held accountable in the case.
Kumar faces charges under IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Explosives Act, with an additional Rs 30,000 fine. The judgment highlights how prisons became breeding grounds for extremism, thanks to figures like T. Naseer, the 2008 blast conspirator serving time in Parappana Agrahara jail.
NIA’s meticulous investigation exposed Kumar’s transformation: radicalized by Naseer and Junaid Ahmad behind bars, he continued the chain post-release. His activities peaked in May 2023 when he smuggled grenades and communication devices from Haryana to Bengaluru, fueling LeT’s terror blueprint.
Deeper probes linked him to a daring escape plan for Naseer during court transfers, part of LeT’s broader strategy to destabilize India. The probe began with CCB’s July 2023 bust of arms from plotters eyeing city-wide attacks. NIA’s takeover revealed the jail-orchestrated masterplan.
With 12 charge-sheeted, including absconding Junaid, the agency persists in its hunt. This verdict not only disrupts LeT’s recruitment but also signals zero tolerance for radicalization within correctional facilities, safeguarding public safety.
