The accused Salman Khan is alleged to have fled from India when the Bengaluru police began arrests of people linked to the prison radicalisation module in July 2023
Lashkar Terrorist Salman Khan Extradited From Rwanda By NIA
In a significant development in India’s fight against terrorism, Salman Rehman Khan, a member of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba was extradited from Rwanda on November 28, 2024. His extradition was facilitated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in collaboration with the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and Interpol.
Salman Khan is implicated in the Bangalore Prisons Terror Conspiracy case, which involves radicalization and recruitment activities within Bangalore’s Central Prison. The NIA filed a chargesheet in the case in February this year naming eight people as accused including Salman Khan and a key accused in the 2008 serial blasts case in Bengaluru – the Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked Tadiyandavede Nasir. He was arrested in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 27, 2024, following a Red Notice issued by Interpol at the request of Indian authorities.
The NIA had taken over the investigation from Bangalore City Police after significant evidence emerged regarding his involvement in terror-related activities, including the procurement and distribution of explosives for terrorist operations. Khan’s criminal activities date back to his time in prison (2018-2022), where he was radicalized by another inmate, T Naseer, a convicted terrorist serving a life sentence.
Investigations revealed that Khan played a crucial role in facilitating the supply of weapons and explosives for terror activities in Bengaluru. The extradition marks a notable success for Indian law enforcement agencies, being the 17th such operation since 2020 aimed at bringing fugitives involved in terrorism to justice.
National Investigation Agency
The NIA is a specialised counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written proclamation from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 31 December 2008
Founder: Radha Vinod Raju
Annual budget: ₹200.53 crore (2023–24 est.)
