He was transferred to India early Thursday where he was formally taken into NIA custody.
New Delhi:
Salman Rehman Khan, a terrorist belonging to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was extradited from Rwanda by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today. Salman was involved in the Bengaluru Prisons Terror Conspiracy case, in which investigations revealed his involvement in radicalization and supply of explosives to terror operatives.
With the cooperation of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Interpol and the National Central Bureaus (NCBs), Salman was arrested yesterday in the Rwandan capital Kigali. He was transferred to India early Thursday where he was formally taken into NIA custody.
This is the seventeenth case since 2020 where the NIA has successfully facilitated the extradition or deportation of terror-related fugitives.
Salman was lodged in Bengaluru Central Jail, where he served a sentence for a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) conviction between 2018 and 2022. During this incarceration, Salman came into contact with T. Naseer, a convicted terrorist serving a sentence. life imprisonment. Investigations revealed that Naseer played a role in radicalizing Salman and orchestrating a terror module within the prison walls.
The NIA investigation revealed how Salman, after being radicalized, became an active participant in terror activities. He assisted in the purchase and distribution of weapons, ammunition and explosives for terrorist operatives. Naseer also hatched plots to facilitate his own escape during court hearings, a scheme in which Salman was a player.
When the terror conspiracy was exposed, Salman fled India and evaded authorities until his arrest in Rwanda.
How Salman was arrested
The NIA had registered the Bengaluru Prisons Terror Conspiracy case on October 25 last year and took over from the Bengaluru city police. Salman, who had already been declared a fugitive, was charged under the stringent UAPA, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.
On August 2 this year, Interpol issued a Red Notice at the request of the NIA. Authorities in Rwanda arrested Salman based on the warning and informed Indian authorities. This led to a series of coordinated efforts between the NIA, the Rwandan National Central Bureau (NCB) and Interpol, which ultimately resulted in Salman's extradition.
In 2024 alone, 26 fugitives were returned to India through coordinated efforts involving Interpol. These include individuals accused of crimes ranging from terror to sexual crimes, such as Raihan Arabikkalalarikkal, who is wanted for crimes against minors and has been extradited from Saudi Arabia.