UP resident among 8 charge-sheeted for killing six policemen in J&K's Anantnag
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday filed charge-sheet against eight Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) cadres including a Hindu resident from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district for their alleged involvement in June 15, 2016 terror attack in which six policemen were killed in southern Anantnag district.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old youth Aarif Ahmed Lone was injured when the Army opened fire on a violent crowd in southern Kulgam district on Monday. The incident occurred in Mishipora village of Kulgam. The police said that a patrol party of the Army came under stone-pelting by the local youth while passing through the village. “The soldiers tried to chase the miscreants away without using any force but that didn’t yield any desired result. The stone pelting intensified on which the soldiers first fired their rifles in the air and then directly into the violent crowd,” said a police official.
A statement issued by the police here said that the “comprehensive” charge-sheet was filed before a court in Anantnag which is hearing the case registered by the police under various sections of Ranbir Penal Code including 302 (murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (causing mischief), Arms Act and other relevant laws.
According to the charge-sheet, a group of LeT terrorists attacked a police vehicle in which Station House Officer of Acchabal (Anantnag) and five other policemen were travelling using automatic weapons including AK 47 rifles resulting into their on-the-spot death.
“During the course of investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police it was establish that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists headed by Bashir Lashkari were involved in the attack. Further, on the basis of evidences collected during the course of investigation complicity of eight persons was established, of which two persons were arrested in the instant case,” the statement said.
The accused are Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar (UP), Muhammad Ashraf Wani alias Moulvi, Bashir Ahmad Wani alias Bashir Lashkari, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, Merajuddin Bangroo, Sahir Ahmed Makroo and Zeenat-ul-Islam-all local Kashmiris- and Pakistani national Abu Maaz. “During the investigation incontrovertible evidence has been brought on record establishing complicity of above mentioned accused persons in the instant crime,” the charge-sheet said.
The police said that the main accused Bashir Lashkari and Pakistani national Abu Maz were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Anantnag’s Branti Batpora village on July 1, 2017. While Sandeep and Ashraf were arrested and are presently in the judicial custody, the other accused are absconding.
Meanwhile, the police has claimed arrested a former Pakistan trained militant Sajad Ahmed Bhat in southern Anantnag district. “He was on the basis of specific input arrested by a joint party of the J&k police, the Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF’s 110 Batallion,” said a police spokesman here.
He added that during the questioning Bhat disclosed that he along with other over-ground workers of outlawed Jaish-e-Muhammad were involved in the grenade throwing incidents in Pampore and Khrew area of Pulwama. All of them were subsequently arrested by the security forces along with arms and ammunition, the police said. The alleged OGWs of the Jaish have been identified as Umar Gani Sheikh, Jan Muhammad Khanday alias Jehangir, Owais Ahmed Bhat and Muzaffar Hussain Bhat.
