Houses of PHE official’s PG son, TA’s ex-serviceman searched
Digital devices, incriminating material seized
Sanjeev Pargal/Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Sept 21: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted multiple raids in five districts of the Union Territory including three in Kashmir division and two in Jammu region in connection with recovery of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) dropped using drone on the day two drones struck at Indian Air force (IAF) Station at Satwari injuring two officials and causing minor damage to the building.
An NIA statement issued this evening said many digital devices and other incrimination material have been recovered from the premises of persons whose houses were raided today.
Three militants, two of them hailing from Banihal tehsil in Ramban district and another from Shopian have already been arrested in connection with recovery of the IED at Bhatindi under the jurisdiction of Trikuta Nagar Police Station including the one who had to plant the explosive device at a crowded place.
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The case was registered at Trikuta Nagar Police Station on June 27 this year while investigations were later handed over to the NIA which reregistered the case on July 19.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that the NIA raided the house of Jal Shakti Department official Ghulam Mohammad Dar, 45, son of Abdul Gani Dar at village Tendar Dothan Gaddatter in Gundana area of Doda district.
“The NIA team was looking for his son Javed Iqbal Dar, 31, who is reportedly MA B Ed as there were reports with the Agency that he might have been connected with militants in Pakistan through WhatsApp,” sources said, adding that the family, however, claimed that Javed Dar was putting up in Ladakh for the past few months.
Sources said the NIA team might establish contact with Ladakh Police to trace Javed Dar.
Information about Javed Dar’s links with the militants was reportedly given by three ultras already arrested in connection with recovery of the IED.
The NIA team also conducted searches in the house of an ex-serviceman of Territorial Army Talib Naik at Masjid Mohalla in Kishtwar.
However, he was undergoing treatment in the Military Hospital Udhampur for past some time, sources said and added that he might be questioned after being discharged from the hospital.
“During searches conducted today, many digital devices and other incriminating materials have been recovered from the premises of suspects,” an official statement issued by the NIA after completion of the raids, said.
It said investigations into the case revealed that Pakistan based handlers of proscribed terror outfit of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and their associates based in Jammu and Kashmir are planning terror activities in the Union Territory using the pseudo-acronym The Resistance Front (TRF) so as to maintain plausible deniability and evade Law Enforcement agencies.
The statement said the NIA took the assistance of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRFP) during the raids.
“Further investigations in the case are on,” the statement said.
It may be mentioned here that Police had arrested an LeT militant hailing from Banihal from Bhatindi area under the jurisdiction of Trikuta Nagar Police station on June 27 along with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device which had been dropped from Pakistan to this side using drone and was to be planted at crowded place to cause maximum casualties.
Later, police had arrested two more militants in connection with the IED recovery including one each from Banihal and Shopian.
Significantly, the IED was recovered the day two drones struck at the Indian Air Force Station at Satwari in Jammu district, a first of its kind attack in the country, in which two IAF personnel were injured and minor damage was caused to the building.
The drones were reportedly launched from across the border.
Meanwhile, the NIA raided the residence of Mohammad Shafi Wani son of Abdul Gani, a resident of Lasjan on the outskirts of Srinagar.
They searched the residence and seized the mobile phones of Mohammad Shafi and his son identified as Rayees Wani. Mohammad Shafi was detained and taken to Police Station Panta-Chowk for further questioning.
The NIA also searched the residence of Waseem Ahmad Dar son of Nazir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Larm Ganjipora area of Kulgam district.
In Anantnag, searches were carried out in the residence of Bashir Ahmad Padder son of Ghulam Mohammad Padder, a resident of Bamnu Sadiwar.
In Baramulla, a raid is being conducted in the house of Ghulam Mohiudin Wani son of Ghulam Mohammad Wani, a resident of Zandfaran Sheer who is an employee in Sericulture department.
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