[JURIST] Pakistani authorities on Monday placed under house arrest the leader of an Islamist group suspected of playing a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks [JURIST news archive]. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed [Global Jihad backgrounder], the founder and leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)[CFR backgrounder] was restricted from leaving his home by Pakistani authorities pursuant to Pakistani governmental orders. This is the second time Saeed has been placed on house arrest. In June, a Pakistani court ended [JURIST report] Saeed's house arrest after not having enough evidence to link him and his group to the Mumbai attacks. There is no word from authorities on how long Saeed will be under house arrest.

On Saturday, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that his government would indict seven suspects [JURIST report] in the Mumbai terror attacks, also requesting further evidence from India that Saeed was involved in planning the attacks. In August, India sentenced three terrorists to death for their part in similar attacks in 2003 [JURIST report]. In July, India announced that it would continue the trial [JURIST report] of a man suspected in the 2008 hotel attack [BBC backgrounder] that killed more than 100 people, despite his mid-trial confession [JURIST report]. Pakistan has postponed the trial of five others [JURIST report] allegedly connected with the 2008 attack. Mumbai has suffered a number of terrorist attacks allegedly linked to the LeT in recent years, leading the government to consider controversial terrorism laws and to institute special courts [JURIST reports] to try suspects.