AK rifle, 2 pistols, 2 grenades recovered from officer’s residence
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: A senior police officer was today detained in Kulgam area of South Kashmir on the National Highway along with two militants, including one of the most wanted who was involved in the last year’s killing of 11 apple traders, driver and labourers.
Police this afternoon stopped a car at Al-Stop on NH-44 in Kulgam district of South Kashmir and detained the Police officer along with Naveed Mushtaq alias Naveed Babu alias Babar Azam, a resident of Nazneenpora in South Kashmir’s Shopian district and his associate Asif Ahmad.
The operation was led by one of the senior police officers and residence of the detained officer was immediately raided in Srinagar. Sources said that one AK-47 rifle, two pistols and two grenades were recovered from his residence.
The detained police officer has played an active role in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir. He has also been granted gallantry award in 2017.
Naveed Mushtaq alias Naveed Babu alias Babar Azam, a resident of Nazneenpora in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, was a police deserter and had joined the ranks of militants in 2017.
He decamped with four assault rifles from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Babu shot into limelight after the Centre Government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special Constitutional provisions and Statehood in August last year.
Soon after, police said that Babu issued a diktat to apple orchardists in South Kashmir not to sell their produce. According to police, Babu was involved in the killings of at least 11 non-Kashmiri workers, including truck drivers and labourers, in South Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
Before joining the ranks of militants, Babu was working as Special Police Officer (SPO) with Jammu and Kashmir Police. After a series of attacks on truckers, the authorities put up posters in various areas of Shopian with Babu’s pictures.
The officer is being questioned and the militants are being interrogated to know about their plans and establish a link between them.
Police has neither confirmed the detention of the police officer and militants nor have denied it. A senior police officer said that they don’t know anything about it.
Sources, however, said that it is not clear whether he was trying to make them surrender before the Army or any senior police officer or he was helping the militants in carrying out their activities. They said that police is investigating the matter.
3 militants charge sheeted
Baramulla police today presented a charge sheet against 3 accused for their involvement in militancy.
Baramulla police presented the charge sheet against 3 accused identified as Aaqib Shalla and Aaqib Hajam residents of Chisti Colony Baramulla and a militant for their involvement in killing of one civilian Sameer Yousuf Ahanger, resident of old Town, Baramulla.
Police said that on 30th of June 2019, militants had fired on civilian Sameer Yousuf who sustained critical injuries in the terror incident. He was shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment however he succumbed to his injuries.
“Accordingly case FIR No. 112/2019 was registered in Police Station Baramulla and special investigation team was assigned to carry out the investigation of this terror crime”, police said.
“During the course of investigation, police identified the accused as Aaqib Shalla and Aaqib Hajam and another person who is an active terrorist. The two accused Aaqib Shalla and Aaqib Hajam were subsequently arrested and the weapon of offence was also recovered. On the basis of evidence collected during the course of investigation, it was learnt that the terror attack was carried out by this group including an active terrorist affiliated with proscribed outfit HM. As per the police investigation, the active terrorist was part of this group while carrying out the terror attack and is wanted by law forhis complicity in the terror crime”, he added.
Police today presented charge sheet against three accused before the High Court. Two arrested accused have been sent to Judicial custody while the search for the third active terrorist is in progress.
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