Srinagar: Nine persons arrested in Kashmir by police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) in November last year for alleged militant links are being handed over by police to National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the orders by a Srinagar court.
Apropos to a police statement, rebutting GNS report as “factually correct”, it clarified that some sleuths of NIA are already in Kashmir Valley and a court has ordered the custody of nine persons to NIA, sources said. While the nine persons are presently in “judicial custody”, it would be police that would be handing over them to NIA as jails are manned by the police itself.
As reported earlier, two persons identified as Tahir Ahmad Khan son of Ali Mohammad of Chandrigam Tral and Haris Mushtaq Khan son of Mushtaq Ahmad of Wathora Budgam were arrested by the SOG Srinagar near TRC on November 23, 2018.
On their disclosure, police sources said that seven more persons were arrested by respective police stations and handed over to SOG in a subsequent couple of days.
They include Abdul Ahad Mir son of Ghulam Mohammad of Khurhama, Kupwara, Asif Suhail Nadaf son of Latief Ahmad of Rainwari, Irfan Ahmad Seeru son of Mohammad Shaban of Nawa Kadal Srinagar, Wahid Abbas Bhat son of Mohammad Abbas of Rajouri Kadal, Srinagar, Ashiq Hussain son of Bashir Ahmad of Jamia Masjid Nowhatta, Haris Rashid Langoo son of Abdul Rashid of Malik Sahib Gojwara Srinagar and Arif Majeed Khan son of Abdul Majeed of Hawal Srinagar.
A police officer while confirming said nine persons are being handed to NIA sleuths on the orders of the court following an application by the NIA.
He said all these persons were working as over-ground workers (OGWs) of militant outfits and on their instances police recovered two pistols along with 14 rounds, three grenades, one bara bore single barrel rifle, one ISIS flag and one cutter.
He said that a case under FIR number 93/2018 under section 307 RPC, 7/28 Arms Act, 16-B-18 Unlawful Activities Act stands registered in police station Kotibagh, Srinagar. GNS regrets inadvertent overlooks but stands by the news report with the above-mentioned clarifications. (GNS)