Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 29: Security forces arrested the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant behind the blast in a police vehicle in which a Pakistani under trial militant and a police man were killed and four others were injured last month.
A defence spokesman said that a joint team of Army and Police apprehended a LeT militant, Ubaid Tariq Untoo in a vehicle check post established near Channa Khan, Sopore by the security forces yesterday.
Army said that based on a specific intelligence input regarding the move of a LeT militant in village Sopore, a joint Vehicle Check Post was established by Army and police in the early yesterday.
“During the operation, the joint team successfully apprehended a LeT terrorist along with Chinese pistol and three live rounds. The apprehended terrorist was later identified as Ubaid Tariq Untoo alias Faris son of Tariq Ahmad Untoo resident of Kralteng, Sopore. The terrorist was the main accused in Sopore blast case which took place in a Police vehicle near Time Pass Restaurant on June 20, 2015 in which one under trial terrorist namely Waheed Noor Khan of PoK got killed and one constable of Sopore Police martyred besides injuries to four Police persons. An FIR has been registered and the apprehended terrorist has been handed over to the local Police Station, Sopore”, the spokesman said.
Sources said that Untoo handed a jacket with two grenades to Khan in the court. They said that Khan’s plan was to escape from the Police custody during which he was killed.
Untoo had done it on his own without taking the LeT leadership into confidence. However, LeT was planning his escape last year but it didn’t materialize. Sources said that Untoo was rebuked by the LeT leadership over the issue.
Police had suspended 5 cops including an officer who were accompanying the Pakistani militant to the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore. The militant died in a grenade blast that went off inside the vehicles on their way back to Central Jail Srinagar.
These cops who were injured were suspended for dereliction of duty that led to possession of grenades with Pakistani prisoner, Waheed Noor Khan, and blast in which the prisoner and a constable Abdul Majeed died.
Five cops – Assistant Sub-Inspector Ghulam Ahmed Mir of Amargadh Sopore, Driver Mohammad Amin Dar of Iqbal Nagar Sopore, Constable Tasaduk Ali of Uri, Constable Iftikar Ahmed of Uri and Constable Anwar Ali of Hawal – are suspended as it was due to their dereliction of duty that led to the possession of grenades with Khan and the blast.
Reports said that Khan wore a jacket containing two grenades at CJM Sopore court when he went to offer prayers. The policemen didn’t take notice of Khan going inside the prayer room without a jacket and came out wearing a jacket.
Khan threatened the cops with the grenade on way to Srinagar near Hygam and asked them to stop the vehicle but the grenade went off when one of the cops tried to overpower Khan.
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