Srinagar, Mar 08: Two persons were arrested for Sunday’s grenade attack at a busy market here in which two persons were killed while “38 persons including two policemen” were injured, police said.

The police have filed a case (FIR 18/2022) under section 302, 307 of IPC, 3,4 of explosive substances act, 7/27 of Indian Arms Act, sections 16 and 23 of Unlawful activities prevention Act at police Shaheed Gunj Police station in connection with grenade blast at Amira kadal bridge at about 4:20 P.M. on March 6.

While two persons— Mohammad Aslam Makhdoomi(79) Of Mukhdoom Sahib Nowhatta and Rafia Nazir (18) of Hazratbal were killed, 38 persons including 36 civilians and two police personnel— Reyaz Ahmed (SgCT) and Jan Mohammad (SPO) were injured in the blast, police said in a statement issued here.

“Due to Heinous nature of the case and due to the panic it created among the general public, SSP Srinagar Rakesh Balwal (IPS) formed a SIT headed by Lakshay Sharma (IPS) SP South and consisting of Shabir Ahmed SDPO Kothibagh, Fayaz Hussain SDPO Shaheed Gunj, Faizan Ali DySP/PC, Anzar Shah DySP(Probationer), Gowhar Hussain SHO Shaheed Gunj and Taseer Ahmed  Inspector/PC as members,” polic said in a statement to GNS.

“The SIT employed modern means of investigation and based on the technical evidences like minute frame by frame analysis of the CCTV footages of scene of crime, footages of CCTVs in the whole of Srinagar city, Cell Tower dump analysis, IP dump analysis, recreation of crime scene and by examination of some eye witnesses”, police said.

Based on these, police said, SIT was able to identify two accused “who came on a 2-wheeler without number-plate to commit this militant act and fled on the same vehicle”.

During the intense analysis of the CCTV trail in Srinagar city, police said, the route adopted by both accused was located back to one neighbourhood in Khanyar area.

“The First accused namely Mohd Bariq son of Mohammad Shafi Magrey of Koolipora Khanyar was arrested from Khanyar, Srinagar. His initial examination led to arrest to second accused namely Fazil Nabi Sofi son of Ghulam Nabi Sofi of Koolipora, Khanyar,” the police said, adding, “The two-wheeler used in this grenade attack was also seized by SIT.”

The police said that duo threw the grenade on the directions of active militants in Kashmir valley.

“The plan was to attack the parked security vehicle but due to grenade throwing from a moving two-wheeler, the target was missed and grenade exploded in an adjacent crowded area where many road-side vendors and buyers were busy in routine works,” the police said.

Further, it was also found that this particular area was chosen due to the omnipresent chaos and turbulent traffic in this stretch of area due to unorganised vendors and stalls on the road, the police said. “There have been 2 other recent grenade attacks in this area i.e. on 10th Aug 2021 and on 25th January 2022. Further investigation is underway and is in full swing in this case,” police said.

Police also “requested” all commercial establishments and shops to install CCTV cameras inside and outside of their shops and commercial establishments as per advisory issued by DC Srinagar.

“This will act as strong deterrence to all the anti-social elements, who think of committing such atrocious crimes,” the police added. Late in the evening family members of the accused persons staged a protest at press enclave here, saying that their kin was innocent.