Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 6: Last night’s firing with an AK-47 rifle by a minor boy at slum colony near Marble Market in Trikuta Nagar has taken a new twist with involvement of a dismissed CRPF constable surfacing in training the boy in handling the deadly weapons, which is used by the belt forces and the militants. A civilian injured in firing by the boy today died in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu while condition of a police constable was still stated to be serious.
The incident has also raised big question mark over sanction of PSOs as police said Congress leader Zulfikar Ali Mumtaz had assigned the PSO (Badar Din) allotted to him to his brother-in-law Nowshad Ahmad, a dismissed constable of CRPF.
Police have arrested the minor boy, dismissed CRPF constable and PSO to whom the AK-47 rifle belonged and booked them for murder and attempt to murder charges.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ashfaq Ahmad, 14, son of Abdul Gani, a resident of Mahore in Reasi district, Badar Din, a police constable of IRP 4th Security deployed as PSO to the Congress leader and Nowshad Ahmad, a dismissed CRPF constable and brother-in-law of both Badar Din and Congress leader Zulfikar Ali Mumtaz.
Nowshad and Badar Din were both residents of Mendhar in Poonch district.
All three accused have been booked under FIR No. 101/2014 under Sections 302, 307, 353, 332 and 109 RPC and 3/25 Arms Act.
Meanwhile, Lalju, 52, son of Dina Ram, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, who had displayed extreme alertness and bravery and tried to overpower Ashfaq Ahmad last night in his slum dwelling unit at Marble Market, Trikuta Nagar, today succumbed to his injuries in the GMC Jammu. While trying to capture Ashfaq Ahmad, Lalju had sustained gun shots in his head and leg and injured seriously after Ashfaq had opened firing with AK-47. Body of Lalju, a labourer, was handed over to his family today. A police constable Mohammad Riaz, who was also injured in the firing, was serious in the GMC.
Reports said the bravery of Lalju has gone unnoticed as neither administration nor anyone from the Government has bothered to take care of his wife and three children.
According to police, Congress leader Zulfikar Ali Mumtaz used to send his PSO Badar Din, who also happened to be his brother, to the house of his brother-in-law Nowshad Ahmed, who was living in police quarters at Channi Himmat as his wife (sister of Zulfikar Ali and Badar Dan) was a police constable and had been allotted the official quarter.
Badar Din used to leave his AK-47 at the house of his sister. Nowshad Ahmed, who was a CRPF constable was dismissed from the services when he was posted in Tihar jail at New Delhi due to his undesirable activities, had been training Ashfaq Ahmad, a domestic servant in his house, about handling of AK-47 rifle.
Nowshad had fully trained the minor boy in unlocking the weapon and fire from it. He had also trained him in driving.
Last night when Badar Din left the weapon in the house and went outside along with Nowshad, Ashfaq took the weapon, hid it behind the jacked and boarded the three-wheeler. He asked the auto driver to drop him at Channi Himmat. Later, he took out the weapon, pointed it at the head of auto driver and asked him to move towards the Marble Market.
Sensing trouble, the three-wheeler operator jumped out of the running auto, fell in the nullah and survived. Ashfaq took control of the auto and started driving it. He abandoned the auto near slum colony and went inside where Lalju tried to capture him but the boy opened firing causing injuries to Lalju and police constable Mohammad Riaz as police teams led by SDPO East Mohammad Rafiq, local SHOs and several police teams had reached the spot after getting report of Ashfaq’s escape with AK-47.
Ashfaq was captured from the spot and AK-47 seized from him.
DGP K Rajendra Kumar, IGP Rajesh Kumar, DIG Shakeel Beig, SSP Jammu Uttam Chand and other senior police officers visited the spot last night for on spot investigations.
Police said they were trying to investigate any militant link of Nowshad Ahmad, Badar Din and Ashfaq but so far their past had no such connection. However, they said, it still remained a mystery as to why Nowshad Ahmad had trained minor Ashfaq in handling AK-47 rifle and driving.
Ashfaq had told the police that he wanted to return to his home at Mahore as he had been overburdened in the house but had no money. He told the cops that he wanted to sell his AK-47 and used the money to reach home. Police said all three accused were being subjected to sustained questioning to ascertain the facts.
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