New Delhi, Oct 21 : Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, and 26/11 attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are some of the high-profile names that figure in the National Investigation Agency’s ‘most wanted’ list. While these Pakistan-based terrorists don’t carry a bounty on their head, the NIA has put the maximum reward on a Maoist leader from Telangana.
On Saturday, the agency, requesting leads from the public, shared on Twitter a link to the list of ‘most wanted fugitives’. The NIA also assured that the identity of those offering tips will be protected. Those with relevant information can send a mail at assistance.nia@gov.in or call at 011-24368800, the agency said in a statement on Twitter.
The list includes a total of 258 fugitives out of which around 15 are women. Most of them have an Interpol notice issued against them and are wanted for carrying out “terror activities”, “training militants” or “planting explosive devices” in the country. Few of them named in the list are Maoists who are wanted for “conspiring to wage war against the government of India,” and “carrying arms and ammunition and a huge cache of money.” A total of 98 absconders have an RCN issued against them and a red dot beside their picture denotes the same.
Fifty-seven names on the list also carry a bounty on their head. A rupee symbol indicates the amount declared by the agency for information leading to the arrest of the absconder. Mupalla Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathy carries the maximum reward price of Rs 15 lakh on his head. According to intelligence reports, Ganapathy, among the top leaders of the banned Maoist group, was suspected to be in Gaya in Bihar in 2017 but his location could not be traced. His potential successor Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavraj also features in the list and carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Basavraj, according to officials, is considered to be an expert in IEDs and has good knowledge of military strategy.
Fifteen names in the list belong to Pakistan. A red corner notice has been issued against most of them including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed. Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Majid. David Headley wanted in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai attack case also features in the list. Among the Pakistani’s, Junaid Akram Malik, a Hizbul militant, carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.
India first released a list of the 50 most wanted fugitives allegedly hiding in Pakistan in 2011, following the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The list was prepared in consultation with the CBI, the NIA, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and various law enforcement agencies.
