Ramban, Aug 06: Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday claimed to have solved a Police Post Ind blast case in Ramban by arresting two militants affiliated with J&K Ghaznavi Forces (JKGF) involved in the act.
A police spokesman in a statement said that on 02 August 2022, some unidentified persons exploded a device at Police Post Ind under the jurisdiction of Police Station Gool.
“Ramban District was already put on high alert in the run up to Independence Day, and the sentry was alert due to which a major misfortune was averted and the device exploded in front of the barrack of Jawans. Due to this explosion, two police personnel namely Follower Lal Singh 55/F & SPO Shakeel Ahmed 23/SPO sustained minor splinter injuries,” the statement said.
“The unknown militants taking advantage of the darkness fled from the spot. On this, a Case FIR No 69/2022 307/120-B/121 IPC, 4/5 Explosives Act was registered in Police Station Gool and investigation was taken up,” police said.
“Soon after the incident, security forces including JKP, Army and CRPF launched a massive joint operation in Ind and adjoining areas of Gool in order to apprehend the person responsible for the attack.”
“During the course of investigation, IO visited the spot along with the FSL team and collected several pieces of evidence from the scene of crime including traces of explosives used and footprints of militants. Also, a hand written piece of paper was found near the post which claimed the attack and it came to fore that J&K Ghaznavi Forces (JKGF) had claimed responsibility for the attack.”
“Investigation revealed that JKGF earlier used to have presence only in Rajouri-Poonch Districts of J&K UT and in view of this, SSP Ramban contacted SSP Rajouri who disclosed that one Talib Hussain S/O Haider Shah R/O Draj, Budhal, Rajouri of LeT Outfit who was arrested on July 4, 2022, during his sustained questioning had revealed that he had visited Gool area of Ramban district in 2021 to give some money to a person who is resident of Gool area.”
“Acting on this lead given by Rajouri police, intense Cordon and Search Operation was launched in Gool market area and after thorough search & linking of input, one suspect namely Shah Din Padyar S/O Abdul Satter Padyar R/O W.No. 4, Gool was picked up for questioning. The suspect was put to sustained questioning during which he confessed to the hatching of criminal conspiracy to the effect of reviving the militancy in Ramban area which was to start with the onset of lobbying of explosive device on Police Post Ind,” police said.
“After further questioning, he further disclosed the identity of his accomplice in the conspiracy as Mohd Farooq S/O Sanaullah R/O Mahakund, Gool. They used to act as handlers of the JKGF wherein they were given funds from the Tanzeem and were in the process of recruiting the youth to revive militancy in Ramban. The two persons namely Shahdin S/O Abdul Satar R/O Gool and Mohd Farooq S/O Sanaullah R/O Mahakund Ind during sustained interrogation confessed that Mohd Farooq received cash amounting to the tune of Rs. 50,000 from one person whose identity is yet to be ascertained and who had assigned the task of attacking security forces establishment to Shahdin and Farooq. The bank statement of Shah Din Padyar S/O Abdul Satter Padyar R/O W.No. 4, Gool was also obtained and perused which also corroborated the facts revealed during his confession.”
“It was also prima facie found during investigation that the claim for the blast was written in the handwriting of Shah Din Padyar S/O Abdul Satter Padyar R/O W.No. 4, Gool. Moreover, from the possession of Mohd Farooq S/O Sanaullah R/O Mahakund, Gool, three SIM Cards have been recovered apart from his mobile phone with two SIM Cards. The Electronic Surviellance Team (ESU) of Distt Ramban is further working on technical inputs to establish further evidence.”
After this revelation into the instant case, sections 16, 17, 18, 18-B, 19, 20, 38,39 UAPA of Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act, 1967, were added to the instant case, police said, adding that more arrests are expected after the identification of the person who were financing these two persons.