- SIT headed by SP formed to investigate case
- Jumped from window to evade arrest, formatted phones
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 21: A Deputy Superintendent of Police was arrested by police in Srinagar after “disturbing and highly sensitive evidence” came from the disclosure of one of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative Muzamil Zahoor which was corroborated by the expert opinion of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In or ICERT).
“It is submitted that some disturbing evidence has come from the disclosure of the Muzamil Zahoor and corroborated by the expert opinion of CERT- IN which apparently seems to be highly sensitive and requires to be handled with care and caution,” read a police report.
In view of the sensitivity of the case, Police have formed a five member SIT to investigate the case and DySP Sheikh Adil Mushtaq has been granted a six-day police remand.
Srinagar Police said: “One DySP of 17th IRP namely Adil Mushtaq was arrested in FIR no 149/2023 u/S 7, 7A of Prevention of Corruption Act & Sections 167, 193,201,210,218,221 of IPC of Nowgam PS. A five member SIT headed by SP South City was entrusted with the investigation. 6 days police remand of accused obtained.”
The DySP Sheikh Adil was arrested from Nowgam Police Station where he was detained for questioning after police raided his residence in Sanat Nagar area of Srinagar two days ago.
The officer was booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 193 (giving false evidence) and 201 (destruction of evidence).
The officer was suspended earlier this year in March when his dubious role was established while investigating a terror funding case.
At the time of the raid at his residence, a police official said, DySP Adil jumped from the window to evade arrest. He also formatted one of his cell phones so that police won’t get any evidence against him. Later, during the questioning he also surrendered another cell phone to the investigating officer of the case but that was also formatted.
The official said that Police also raided the house of his brother but he is reportedly absconding. However, some documents were seized from there.
As per police records in February this year, three persons Umar Adil Dar son of Ghulam Hassan Dar of Soiteng, Bilal Ahmad Sidiqi son of Ghulam Ahmad Sidiqi of Kursoo, Rajbagh and Salik Mehraj son of Mehraj-ud- Din Dar of Soiteng were intercepted by police in Nowgam area and during the checking of the kit bag carried by Dar, Rs 31, 65, 200, one mobile phone and three letterhead pages of Lashkar-e-Toiba were recovered.
“On personal search of the other two persons Sidiqi and Mehraj, five letter head pages each of LeT were recovered from them,” the police records suggest.
A case (FIR No.20/2023 U/S 120 B, 121, 121 A-IPC, 13,18,39, 40 ULA (P) Act) was registered in Police Station Nowgam and investigation was entrusted to DySP Sheikh Adil.
As per police records, during the questioning the trio revealed that they were working as OGWs for LeT and money was sent to them by the handlers in Pakistan.
As per police, Dar in his statement made on February 9 this year revealed that he received Rs 25 lakhs in 2019 and gave Rs 10 lakh to Bilal, Rs 10 lakh to one Zamrooda and Rs 5 lakh to one Yasmeen for the purpose of strengthening the LeT cadre in Srinagar.
As per the official documents DySP Adil didn’t arrest two women separatists – Zamrooda and Yasmeen- after the disclosure made by Dar. He raided their house on March 6 this year which gave them enough time to destroy evidence as police couldn’t retrieve anything from their cell phones which could have gone against them. It further revealed that DSP Adil didn’t analyse the incriminating material recovered from the houses of the two women during the police raid. The two women were later arrested on May 18 by another IO who replaced DySP Adil.
Police during the investigation of the case arrested one LeT operator Muzamil Zahoor on July 19 this year from a Srinagar hotel. He had managed to open an account in a bank in Sopore in the name of Sheikh Inamul Haq by using his photograph and other documents. The documents revealed that Muzamil had received Rs 5 lakh into the account from Dar as terror money.
The seized mobile phone along with the SIM of Muzamil Zahoor was sent to Director General CERT-IN New Delhi on 22.07.23 for expert opinion which was received on 24.07.23. The CERT-IN report traced Muzamil’s telegram account to another telegram account which belonged to DySP Adil and they were regularly communicating between July 7 and July 19 (date of arrest of Muzamil).
The CERT-IN report reveals that during the period DySP Adil has actively guided Muzamil Zahoor to file a false and frivolous complaint against the Police Officers who were involved in the investigation of the case, in order to save Muzamil Zahoor from the rigor of law and also to create a manipulative cover in hiding the criminal complicity of DSP Sheikh Adil for his wrongdoings that surfaced during the investigation.
As per the statement of Muzamil, he paid Rs 2.73 lakh to the DySP for helping jailed OGW Adil Dar in a terror funding case. He further told the police that he was asked by the DySP to remain underground for a few months but he contacted the DSP when his (Muzamil) name surfaced in the case.
“…he advised me and guided me in drafting the contents of this frivolous complaint against SHO Nowgam on telegram chat. Also, he guided me in recording a video clip so as to save himself, me and others. I recorded and sent this clip to him. Eventually the frivolous complaint was filed in the court of law in Srinagar and I was told/advised by DySP Adil to remain under ground for some more time till court order on that complaint comes…,” read the statement Muzamil made before police.
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