Overview
- A special NIA court in Mohali announced Thursday that Zahid Gulzar, Yasir Rafiq Bhat and Mohammad Idris Shah were convicted and given multi-year rigorous imprisonment while co-accused Suhail Ahmed Bhat was acquitted.
- The case began after an October 2018 search of a CT Institute hostel room in Jalandhar that recovered an AK-series rifle, a Mauser pistol, magazines, live cartridges and nearly one kilogram of explosive material.
- The court found the three guilty of conspiracy to wage war, offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, arms violations and explosive-related charges after the prosecution examined roughly 62 to 64 witnesses and presented electronic and forensic evidence.
- Media accounts differ on the sentencing: some reports say the prison terms range from five to 10 years while others report uniform 10-year terms, a discrepancy that the written court order and any appeals will resolve.
- The conviction caps a probe taken over by the NIA in November 2018 and may prompt legal appeals, inform counter‑radicalisation work for students from Pulwama and sustain security scrutiny of campus hostels and related recruitment claims.