Jawan held at Srinagar airport with grenades, says junior officers used him

Srinagar: A soldier was arrested on Monday morning at Srinagar airport, after two grenades were found in his baggage.

Police said the jawan, Gopal Mukhiya, was about to board a flight to Delhi when a check revealed that he was carrying grenades.

The jawan serves near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, where 19 Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistan terrorists on September 18.

According to ANI, the 17 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles jawan who hails from Darjeeling, initially said that he was unaware of the grenades in his possession. But later, he retracted his statement, and claimed that he was taking grenades to Delhi to cause 'blast in rivers' to catch fish.

On being pressed however, the jawan admitted the involvement of junior level officers and said he was just a 'courier' for the grenades.

"Necessary action will be taken against him. I am heading to the airport now," Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid told the media in Srinagar.

"He will face action according to the law. Be it an army jawan, a policeman or a civilian, everyone will have to face action,” the DGP said.

Asked whether it was a hijacking bid, the DGP said: "I cannot say anything on that."

The soldier had entered the airport without being stopped because there is no checking for the army at the entry.

Just yesterday, 1 policeman was killed and 14 injured in a grenade attack on Sunday by militants in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar.

The attack came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Srinagar to inaugurate the Jammu-Srinagar tunnel, the longest in India.