Captured Pakistani terrorist Mohd Naved Yakub was remanded in NIA custody for 14 days on Tuesday by a court in Jammu. The custody was given to NIA to enable the probe agency to identify other culprits involved in the Udhampur terror attack. The attack last week had left two BSF personnel dead.
Naved, a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, was produced before the NIA court early Tuesday morning, official sources said.
Arguing in favour of his custody, NIA said many areas needed to be investigated and for that the custody of the accused was necessary, the sources said.
The NIA, which took over the case last week, has booked him under various sections of Indian Penal Code including waging war against the nation as well as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act.
The investigating agency along with Jammu and Kashmir Police has been questioning nearly 11 people who have been detained since Naved was captured.
A man hunt has been launched to nab the truck driver, who ferried Naved and his accomplice Mohammed Noman alias Momin to Udhampur, and a businessman who allegedly paid Rs five lakh to Naved and his handler.
Sustained questioning of Naved was required as he was changing statements frequently and had given four different accounts of the route he and his accomplices took to infiltrate India.
Sources said, Naved is perceived to be a hardened militant who is trying to confuse his interrogators. The tactic is believed to aim at buying time for his other accomplices in the terror network to slip away, the sources said.
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