Conspiracy to torch Pattan School hatched at medical shop; five arrested: Police

Srinagar: Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested five persons who torched a school after “hatching a conspiracy at a medical shop” in Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Govt Middle School Tapper Pattan was torched during the intervening night of 26 and 27 October.

“Case FIR number 272 of 2016 under section 436 RPC was registered in Police Station Pattan and investigation taken up,” said a spokesman.

During the investigation, he said, it surfaced that the conspiracy regarding the incident was hatched at the medical shop of Ajaz Ahmad Parra @ Ajaz Medicate son of Ghulam Mohammad Parra with Omar Parra @ Omar Kasaie son of Mohammad Amin Parra, Shabir Pandit @ Bulbul son of Ghulam Mohammad Pandit and Bashir Ahmad Hajam son of Ghulam Hassan Hajam all residents of Hamray Pattan.

“These people have arranged petrol from a petrol pump and later on stored that in plastic bottles and gave the same to Naveed Ahmad son of Ghulam Nabi @ Naba Tension resident of Tapper, Adil Ahmad Parra @ Adil Doda son of Bilal Ahmad Parra and Usman @ Babloo son of Ghulam Hassan Parray @ Hassan Joker – all residents of Tapper Pattan who at around 1.30 am executed their plan and set the school building on fire,” said the spokesman.

“These individuals who are known stone pelters and are  wanted in  many stone pelting cases, had kept some of  the petrol bottles in an apple orchard for creating the panic in  future by burning the vehicles and other government buildings.”

The motive behind this act of these miscreants was to create an atmosphere of fear and to ensure that schools continue to remain closed, he said.

“The above named Omer Kasaie had also threatened the school staff, who thereafter had shifted the school record to some safe location without though informing the Police (sic).”

“All the above named accused persons except Naveed and Usman have been arrested and at the instance of Omar Kasaie and Adil Doda, some petrol bottles were recovered from the apple orchard near Tapper. Further investigation in the case is going on.  The other accused involved in this incident have also been identified and manhunt has been launched to nab them.”