JKGF plan to revive militancy in Ramban district foiled; some more arrests likely
RAMBAN, AUGUST 6: UT Police in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday arrested two militants responsible causing an explosion near the police barrack at Ind Police Post on August 2 morning.
Identified as Shah Din Padiyar of Ward No. 4 and Mohammad Farooq of Maha Kund, both Gool, the arrests came within 72 hours of their throwing a crude explosive device at a police barrack which, however, fell short of the target and exploded nearby. Two policemen including Follower Lal Singh and SPO Shakeel Ahmed had sustained minor injuries.
Giving details, Ramban SP Mohita Sharma said that the militants could not come nearer the barrack as the sentry on duty at the police post, after hearing the explosion opened fire making them to flee under cover of darkness as the police and other security forces in Ramban district were already maintaining high alert in view of the coming Independence Day. The police and CRPF launched searches in the area and found a piece of handwritten paper saying that the explosion was carried out by Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force.
As during investigations, it came to the fore that JKGF was earlier active in only the adjoining border Rajouri and Poonch districts, she contacted SSP Rajouri in the matter, Mohita Sharma said. The latter told her that recently arrested Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Talib Shah of Draj (Budhal in Rajouri district) during his sustained interrogation revealed that he had visited Gool to give money to a person in 2021, she added. Talib along with another militant from Kashmir’s Pulwama area was apprehended by local villagers in Reasi district’s Mahore tehsil after they visited a dhok early last month.
The police and CRPF then launched an intensive cordon and search operation in Gool Market and apprehended a suspect Shah Din Padiyar who after questioning revealed the name of his accomplice as Mohammad Farooq. Both confessed having hatched a conspiracy to revive militancy in the district with the throwing of explosive device at Ind Police Post, she added.
Both earlier used to act as handlers of funds provided by the JKGF and they were in the process of recruiting local youth to revive militancy in Ramban area, SP said.
During question, Mohammad Farooq confessed having received Rs 50,000 from a person who had given them the task of attacking police and security forces establishments in the area. The identity of the person, who gave money to Farooq, is yet to be ascertained, she said, adding that Farooq was also found in possession of three SIM cards apart from his mobile phone which also had two more SIMs.
The electronic surveillance team of police in the district is working of digging all the data on these five SIM cards and the mobile phone so as to establishing further evidence in the case, she said, adding both the militants have been booked under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. More arrests are likely after ascertaining the identity of person who provided cash to the arrested militants, she added.