Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 29: In a major success, police today arrested three militants including one from Ganderbal in Kashmir and two others from Dhar Ghaloon in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district for their involvement in militancy including last month’s powerful blast in the office of Naib Tehsildar at Dhar Ghaloon. One of the arrested militants was a Panch.
Police said searches were still on to nab another top Hizbul Mujahideen operative in Kupwara and two to three businessmen/politicians of Bhatta Dhurian, Mendhar, who had masterminded the blast for getting the administrative unit (tehsil) shifted from Dhar Ghaloon to Bhatta Dhurian.
DIG Rajouri-Poonch range AK Atri told the Excelsior that police have so far arrested three militants and booked them in FIR No. 46/2014 registered under Section 120-B and ¾ Explosive Substances Act for their involvement in Dhar Ghaloon blast that took place on the intervening night of June 24 and 25. Their involvement in more blasts is yet to be ascertained.
The arrested militants have been identified as Irfan Ahmad son of Abdul Qayoom, a resident of Dhar Ghaloon, Mendhar, Mohammad Khaliq and Farooq Ahmed, both residents of the same village. A top Hizbul militant Abdul Majeed Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar R/o Nagri, Kupwara was still absconding.
Addressing a joint press conference, DIG Rajouri-Poonch range AK Atri and SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain confirmed the arrest of Irfan Ahmad.
Police sources, however, told the Excelsior that police arrested Irfan Ahmad from village Wali in Ganderbal district of Kashmir, where he had taken shelter in a house last night. Irfan tried to escape by mixing up with local population but police captured him and shifted him to Poonch. Mohammad Khaliq and Farooq Ahmad were arrested from Dhar Ghaloon, Mendhar. Farooq is Panch from Dhar Ghaloon.
Sources said the three arrested militants had struck a deal of Rs 1.5 lakh with some unidentified businessmen/politicians of Bhatta Dhurian to trigger blast in the office of Naib Tehsildar at Dhar Ghaloon, where Tehsildar had to take charge on next day of the blast.
The unidentified persons wanted Tehsil office to be headquartered at Bhatta Dhurian, police said, adding they were interrogating the three arrested militants to ascertain identity of businessmen/politicians, who had hired them for causing blast in the office of Naib Tehsildar at Dhar Ghaloon.
“It has been confirmed that some influential persons of Bhatta Dhurian had fired Irfan and others for triggering the blast but their identity hasn’t been known so far,” police said, adding the instigators were likely to be identified very soon as sustained interrogation of three militants was on.
Police said the unidentified influential persons had struck a deal of Rs 1.5 lakh with Irfan, who, in turn, had hired services of Khaliq and Farooq and approached Hizbul Mujahideen operative Abdul Majeed Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar of Nagri, Kupwara.
Irfan, who had been given initial amount of Rs 65,000 by the conspirators, had paid only Rs 30,000 to Abdul Majeed Dar and got one powerful IED from him.
Irfan planted the IED in the office of Naib Tehsildar at Dhar Galoon after transporting it from Kashmir via Mughal Road and detonated it causing extensive damage to the office.
Police said some more revelations were likely after the accused, who had hired the militants, are arrested in the next few days.
Follow our WhatsApp channel