Police files chargesheet against Yatra attackers
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 29: Police today filed a charge sheet against Lashkar-e-Toiba and 11 people for conspiring and carrying out the attack on a bus in which Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were travelling that left eight pilgrims dead.
The 1,600-page charge sheet was filed under various Sections of Ranbir Penal Code and the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act before a sessions court at Anantnag.
The probe into the incident was completed in a record six months by the Special Investigating Team headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir) S P Pani after the first arrest was made in the case.
The 11 people in the charge sheet include a juvenile. The charge sheet against the juvenile was filed before Chief Judicial Magistrate (Juvenile Court) at Anantnag in South Kashmir and he is on bail.
Eight pilgrims were killed when Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists fired indiscriminately on the bus carrying pilgrims on the outskirts of Anantnag in July last year. The devotees were on their way back to Jammu after the pilgrimage.
A case under RPC Sections of 302,307,326, 427 and 7/27 Arms Act and under Section 16, 18, 20 ULA (P) Act was registered.
Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Tahir Ashraf Bhatti (SP) under the close supervision of SSP Anantnag Altaf Khan and DIG South Kashmir.
The SIT during the course of investigation has established that LeT was involved in the attack. It on the basis of evidences collected during the course of investigation established involvement of 11 people, of which four persons including a juvenile were arrested while three are still at large.
The main accused Abu Ismail alias Haroon, a Pakistani National, was killed in an encounter in Arigam, Nowgam, Srinagar on September 14, 2017 and Yawar Bashir alias Ayaan Bashir Ahmad Wani of Habilsh Devsar and Maaviya and Furqaan of Pakistan were killed in an encounter at Qazigund.
Three accused Khalid Muzafar Dar of Rehpora Khudwani, Tanveer Ahmad Dar of Rehpora Khudwani and Sarjeel Ahmad Shiekh of Khudwani are absconding.
Three arrested persons including a juvenile are Aijaz Ahmad Wagay son of Ghulam Qadir Wagay of Poshkreri Srigufwara, Bilal Ahmad Reshi son of Mushtaq Ahmad Reshi of Iqbal Market Bijbehara and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh son of Mohammad Maqbool Sheikh of Sheikh Mohalla Khudwani, Kulgam.
Police said that the SIT during the investigation has found incontrovertible evidences and brought it on record establishing complicity of accused persons in the case.
Follow our WhatsApp channel