Srinagar: Within hours of the killing of a CRPF personnel in south Kashmir’s Shopian district last evening, police arrested the assailant and recovered the weapon of offence on Sunday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said an over ground worker (OGW) or a “terrorist associate” has also been arrested in connection with the case.
Militants shot dead off-duty CRPF personnel Mukhtar Ahmad Doie, son of Mohammad Jamaldin Doie, at his home in the Check Chotipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir on Saturday evening.
“We have arrested #killer of CRPF personnel. #Weapon of #offence (pistol) recovered on his disclosure. 01 OGW who accompanied him during #terror crime also arrested,” the IGP said in a tweet.
He said the crime was committed on the directions of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abid Ramzan Sheikh.
In a statement later, a police spokesperson identified the alleged assailant as an “active terrorist” Rukhsar Sadiq Thoker, son of Mohammad Sadiq Thoker, a resident of Rangmarg-Sedow.
The weapon of offence — a pistol — was also seized from his possession.
“During the course of investigation, he (Thoker) disclosed the identity of another terrorist associate who facilitated him in the commission of the crime. He (the terrorist associate) has been identified as Amir Ahmad Dewan, son of Khursheed Ahmad Dewan, a resident of Bohrihallan in Shopian, who too was arrested and on his disclosure, a motorcycle (Pulsar) used in the commission of the crime was recovered,” the spokesperson said.
During further questioning, Thoker confessed that he is a close associate of Sheikh, the self-styled commander of the LeT and a “hybrid terrorist” of the said organisation.
“Furthermore, he revealed that he, along with his associate, had committed the crime on Sheikh’s directions in order to create an atmosphere of terror in the area,” the spokesperson said.
Investigation in the case is going on and further leads are expected, he added.
“Four terrorist associates held in Pulwama”
Police on Sunday said it has arrested four militant associates affiliated with proscribed JeM outfit.
In a statement here, police spokesperson said that during the investigation of a case (FIR No. 50 and 51 of 2022 of Police Station Pulwama) it was established that four youth were actively associated with proscribed JeM outfit and “providing logistic support, transportation and other facilities for commission of terrorist activities”.
They were subsequently arrested, spokesperson said, while identifying the arrested terrorist associates as Imtiyaz Ahmad Rather, son of Mohammad Shaban Rather, resident of Chewa Kallan; Naseer Ahmad Malik (Madrassa administrator), son of Abdul Hamid Malik, resident of Wasoora; Rayees Ahmad Sheikh, son of Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, resident of Khanpora Newa; and Yawar Rashid Ganai, son of Abdul Rashid Ganai, resident of Gudoora Pulwama.
Pertinently, yesterday (March 12) two JeM militants were killed in an operation in Chewa Kallan and another one was apprehend alive. Further investigation in the cases is going on, police said.
