The government has upgraded the security cover for the National Investigation Agency chief Sharad Kumar to Z category, the second highest security classification, because of an increased threat perception. Kumar is supervising five cases of cross-border terror attacks, including the Pathankot and the Uri attacks. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Kumar says he has a tough task at hand to nail Pakistan's complicity and bring the cases to their logical conclusion.
Excerpts:
What is the status of the cross-border terror attack cases?
The NIA is probing at least five such cases. We have filed a charge-sheet in the Pathankot case, but the trial cannot start until the accused are present. So that will be a bottleneck. However, look out circulars and red corner notices have been issued against the accused, who are absconding—mastermind Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar and the two handlers Shahid Latif and Kashif Jan. The next option we have is to try to get them deported or extradited.
In the Udhampur attack case, one Pakistani terrorist, Mohammed Naved Yaqub of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was arrested and a charge-sheet was filed naming nine LeT operatives. The trial is going on. In the rest of the cases, the investigation is going on.
What is the progress of the investigations?
In some cases, we are still in the dark. We have leads in some cases, but we cannot share them given the sensitivity of the matter. But even if we lay hands on those who acted as guides and provided local support, the main handlers are across the border. For gathering evidence and arresting the main accused, we will need cooperation from Pakistan, which isn’t forthcoming. But in those cases where we can identify the handlers, we can put pressure on Pakistan diplomatically and expose the terror machinery operating from its soil.
What is the next step in the Pathankot case?
The NIA has completed its task and based on the charge-sheet, further action will be taken by the ministry of external affairs.
Has the NIA been able to establish Pakistan's direct involvement in the Pathankot attack?
The Jaish-e-Mohammad and its handlers have been named in the charge-sheet. It is clear that the JeM handlers cannot operate in isolation, which is where the complicity of Pakistan becomes obvious.
Have you been able to pinpoint the role of the JeM in the attack? Has Salvinder Singh of the Punjab Police been given a clean chit by the NIA?
We have irrefutable digital, oral and documentary evidence to establish the role of the JeM and its handlers. Salvinder Singh had no role in the attack so he has been given a clean chit.
Do you think if Pakistan had allowed the NIA team to visit that country, the Pathankot charge-sheet could have been stronger?
We would have added additional evidence had the visit happened. Now it is for the government to see what step it takes. We have already put in a request and sent letters rogatory, but no response has come from Pakistan. We extended full cooperation to the Pakistan team and handed over all documents. They promised reciprocity, but failed to deliver. However, we were able to file the charge-sheet in the case within a year.
