A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Poonamallee has issued a notice to a Pakistani official working at the country’s High Commission in Sri Lanka, directing him to appear on October 15 over allegations of plotting to bomb the US Consulate in Chennai and the Israeli Consulate in Bangalore.
The official has been identified as Amir Zubair Siddique, a visa consultant in Colombo with a permanent address in Karachi, Pakistan. He faces charges including criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, and using fake currency. The court noted that Siddique is currently absconding.
The case was initially registered by the Chennai branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in April 2014 before being transferred to the Hyderabad branch of the NIA. It followed the arrest of Mohammed Zakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan national, who had allegedly entered India on Siddique’s instructions to carry out subversive activities.
On May 1, 2014, “high quality” counterfeit Indian currency with a face value of Rs. 2.5 lakh was seized from the fifth accused, Mohammed Salim.
The first accused, Mohammed Zakir Hussain, has already been convicted. In 2018, the NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet against Siddique, linking him directly to the conspiracy.
