If needed, Mirwaiz can be quizzed: IGP
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 24: Police has arrested 20 persons, many of them who were coming out of Jamia Masjid to welcome Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, for the last month’s lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP).
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Range, Munir Ahmad Khan, told a press conference here at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar today that 20 people involved in the lynching of DySP Mohammad Ayoub Pandit have been arrested.
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Pandit was lynched by a mob on Shab-e-Qadr outside the historic Jamia Masjid here after he opened fire on a group of people who caught him clicking pictures out the Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
IGP said that many of the accused were coming out of the Masjid to welcome Mirwaiz. He said that if need arises, Mirwaiz too can be quizzed as the case hasn’t been closed as yet. “The investigation in the case is still ongoing and more arrests are likely”, he added.
Khan said that during the preliminary investigations, police arrested the three persons who were hit by the bullets fired by the police officer. “During the custodial investigations, they led us to some vital conclusions and consequently we arrested 20 more people involved in the case”, he said.
The IGP said that Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Sajad Ahmad Gilkar was one of the accused in Pandit’s lynching. Gilkar was killed in an encounter in Beerwah area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on July 11, this year.
Khan said that the investigations done so far have revealed that the people accused in the lynching case came out of the Jamia after offering eight Rakaats of Taraweeh. “They were raising Zakir Musa slogans and were going to welcome Mirwaiz Umar Farooq”, he said.
The IGP said that while Pandit was coordinating with his men, a group of people countered him and asked him to prove his identity, which he resisted to. “They later started heckling him. The DySP in self-defence fired a few shots below the waist line,” he added.
Khan said that scores of things including an iron rod, which was used during his lynching, Pandit’s Cell Phone, Pistol and Identity Card were recovered during the investigation.
The IGP said that there was noise around, huge rush and it was dark and nobody knew who the guy was. “The identification of a senior cop was ascertained in the wee hours of the morning,” he said, adding that the people voluntarily including civil society members came forward and helped us in the investigations.
Appreciating the cooperation of general public, Khan said that they led us to the right conclusions and investigation.
The IGP said that Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry in the beating of cops in Ganderbal area of Central Kashmir last week.
Khan said that the Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident. “Police took cognizance of the matter and then the matter has been taken up with the senior formations of the Army up to the Corps Commander of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps. The DGP has lodged a very strong protest with the Corps Commander and the Corps Commander has responded quickly and he has ordered a Court of Inquiry,” he said.
IGP said that on the directions of Corps Commander, Army’s 3-sector Brigade Commander, the Commanding Officer, went to the police station after the incident.
“So, all the things have been done whether it was taking cognizance by the police or the action by the army and the things are in process,” he said.
Khan said that police have busted a Lashkar-e- Toiba (LeT) module by arresting four over ground workers of the outfit who used to transport arms and ammunition from North Kashmir to South. “Police had information that LeT was transporting arms and ammunition from North Kashmir to south through OGWs. We developed this input and identified a vehicle which they were using. Four days back, in the evening that vehicle was intercepted but people inside that fled. The vehicle has been seized and we have recovered a magazine from it,” he told reporters.
“Next day, we searched the area and arrested some persons. We also recovered an assault rifle. Four people have been arrested so far,” he said.
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