Five Lashkar militants behind Anantnag amusement park worker's killing arrested: police

DIG south Kashmir Rayees Mohammad Bhat said that the five accused were arrested in the killing of killing of Deepak Kumar alias Deepu of Thial-Panchayat Deot Bilaspur Udhampur at Janglatmandi near Amusement Park Anantnag on May 29.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): In a major breakthrough in the killing of a minority community member in south Kashmir's Anantnag district last month, Police on Friday claimed to have arrested five Jaish-i-Mohammad militants allegedly involved in the killing. Addressing a presser, DIG south Kashmir Rayees Mohammad Bhat (IPS) said that five accused identified as Sehran Bashir Nadaf , Ubaid Nazir Laigroo , Umer Amin Thoker of Waghama, Huzaif Shabir Bhat of Wachi Shopian and Nasir Farooq Shah of Wanteng Mohalla Bijbehara have been arrested in the case.

Besides, one AK-47, its one Magazine and 40 Rounds besides two pistols, as many magazines, seven rounds, as many empty cartridges, three hand grenades, seven mobile phones and the Scooty have been recovered from the possession of the accused, the DIG South Kashmir Range said. The case relates to the killing of Deepak Kumar alias Deepu of Thial-Panchayat Deot Bilaspur Udhampur at Janglatmandi near Amusement Park Anantnag where he was a worker, on May 29.

Divulging further details into the killing, the DIG South Kashmir Range said that on the evening of May 29 at 21:14 hours , unknown gunmen borne on a scooty rode upto the amusement park near GMC Anantnag and with the assistance of their illegally procured arms and ammunition, fired upon the labourer causing serious injuries to him.

Deepu was shifted to hospital GMC Anantnag by the labourers of the amusement park where doctors declared him brought dead while the attackers fled from the spot. Police filed a case (FIR NO 171/2023) under section 7/27 I.A Act, 302 IPC 16,18,20,39 ULAP Act and set investigation into motion. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on May 30, and the investigation was conducted and all possible technical, human and scientific evidence were collected to nab the involved accused.

DIG Bhat said that after the attack, two persons from Deva Colony got missing, namely Sehran Bashir Nadaf of Shirpora Deva Colony and Ubaid Nazir Laigroo of Shirpora New Colony. The missing of these two persons from Deva Colony near GMC-Anantnag, which is situated in close proximity to the incident spot was also considered by the investigation team and the technical and human data was analysed which led to reconstructing of the sequence of events, he said.

He said that on 6 June 23 at about 2230 hours, police apprehended two suspect persons during Naka Checking at Semthan-Tulkhan Crossing. Their disclosure led to major breakthrough in the case and the accused persons involved in the commission of the crime were identified,” he said. Their disclosure coupled with the scientific and technical data analysis led to the recoveries of arms ammunition and the scooty (JK03M-0442) “used in the commission of act, he said.

“The incriminating materials were recovered and seized in presence of the Executive Magistrate and two main accused persons associated with JeM/KFF outfit, who were involved in the commission of crime, were arrested,” added the DIG. Following their disclosure, three more accused persons who had provided “logistic support and had hatched a criminal conspiracy” with the co-accused were arrested, the DIG said.

He said that the accused persons were in contact with a JeM/KFF handler namely Khalid Kamran and the incident was carried out on his orders. Police said it has solved the murder case as well as succeeded in averting major attacks which these accused had been “tasked to carry out by their handler across the border.”

Further investigations are underway and more revelations are expected, it said.