Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 21: Two militants and three Special Police Officers (SPOs) and their harbourers were among 10 persons nabbed by police in Banihal town of Ramban district on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway last night when they were heading towards Srinagar.
The SPOs, posted in Kupwara district, were escorting the militants and their harbourers when naka parties of police nabbed them, police sources said.
Two militants besides a woman and his grandson, who had been born in Pakistan, had flown to Kathmandu, Nepal from Karachi, Pakistan and then sneaked into India before heading for the Kashmir Valley. Three SPOs and some other civilians were escorting them.
All the accused were traveling in Tavera taxi No. 7082 JK03C.
Entire operation was executed under the supervision of DIG Doda-Ramban range Gareeb Dass and SSP Ramban Anil Magotra.
Two arrested militants, belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, have been identified as Abdul Rashid son of Mohammad Sultan R/o Dooru, Kulgam and Gul Zaman Beg son of Sheikh Beg R/o Kupwara. Mariam Begum, mother of dreaded Hizbul militant, Manzoor Bhat, who was still in Pakistan and Bhat’s Pakistan born son, Rehan Bhat, who was 9 years old, accompanied them from Pakistan.
Manzoor Bhat son of Taj Dhar Bhat R/o Kupwara had married a Pakistani girl and was still camping in the neighbouring country along with his wife. However, he sent his son and mother back to Kashmir along with his two colleagues of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.
Besides four persons including two militants, who were headed to Kashmir from Pakistan, three SPOs, who were escorting them to the Valley, have been identified as Zahangir Beg (a relative of Gul Zaman Beg), Mehboob Bhat (who happened to be son of Mariam Begum and brother of Manzoor Bhat) and Shamas Din Beg son of Mukhtar Beg (another relative of Gul Zaman). All three SPOs were residents of Kupwara and were posted in the same district.
Three other persons, who were detained from Tavera vehicle, included Ghulam Nabi Mir son of Mohammad Ramzan, a resident of Sopore and Gulzar Ahmad son of Bashir Ahmad R/o Dooru, both relatives of HM militant Abdul Rashid and Tavera driver Tazamul son of Gul Ahmad Shah R/o Shopian.
Sources said police had developed a specific Intelligence input that two militants had managed to enter India from Pakistan via Nepal and were headed towards Kashmir Valley. It was on the basis of this information that police had laid nakas along the National Highway. They were finally intercepted and captured at Banihal.
After preliminary investigations, police handed over the accused persons including two militants and three SPOs to CID (Counter Intelligence) sleuths of Kashmir branch for further interrogation and initiating legal action against them.
According to sources, four persons including two militants had flown from Karachi in Pakistan to Kathmandu, Nepal reportedly on fake passports and visas arranged by some couriers. From Nepal, they sneaked into Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where three SPOs and other persons had already reached to receive them.
The SPOs and other civilians had taken Tavera vehicle from Srinagar to Gorakhpur, where they picked up their ‘guests’ and headed towards the Valley but were nabbed by the cops at Banihal.
According to sources, Abdul Rashid and Gul Zaman along with Manzoor Bhat and other militants had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara sector about two decades ago. Rashid was part of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Manzoor Bhat had also crossed over to PoK along with his mother Mariam Begum.
Besides being an active militant, Manzoor had also married a Pakistani girl about a decade ago from whom he had a nine year old son, Rehan Bhat. While Manzoor sent his mother and son to Kashmir along with Rashid and Zaman, he himself stayed back at Pakistan along with his wife as he had reportedly become a top militant.
Sources said further interrogation of Abdul Rashid could give some very vital clues to police about militant training camps and other activities of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Three SPOs were also being quizzed to ascertain why had they gone to Gorakhpur to receive the people coming from Pakistan including militant(s).
Sources said the SPOs were virtually escorting them but were trapped at Banihal naka of police.
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