Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday claimed to have arrested eight absconding terrorists and their associates involved in serious crimes of terrorism and disruptive activities. A SIA spokesman said that the arrested accused are involved in TADA cases registered around three decades ago in different Police Stations of district Doda.
''These absconding terrorists had managed to escape from the clutches of law for decades by going underground and remaining untraced for sometime and then resurfaced to enjoy normal family life at their native or some distant places,” the SIA said. According to the SIA, some of the arrested accused have managed to get government jobs and contracts, others found engaged in private businesses and even working in the Court.
These apprehended eight absconders include Adil Farooq Faridi, son of Abdul Ghani Faridi, a resident of H No. 230 Sahidi Chowk Jammu (Government employee presently posted in JK BOSE, Jammu), Mohd. Iqbal alias Javed son of Sikander Khan resident of Asthan Mohalla Doda, Mujahid Hussain alias Nisar Ahmed son of Abdul Rasheed Gathwan resident of Asthan Mohalla Doda , Tariq Hussain son of Ghulam Ali Misger resident of Barshalla Doda, Ishtiaq Ahmed Dev alias Ajaz sim of Mohd Ayoub Dev resident of Sah Mohalla Doda, Ajaz Ahmed alias Mohd. Iqbal son of Abdul Rehman resident of Dandi Bhaderwah, Jameel Ahmed alias Jugnu alias Chika Khan son of Faiz Ahmed resident of Kursari Bhaderwah and Ishfaq Ahmed son of Ghulam Ahmed Sheikh resident of Bun Doda (working as writer in Court Complex Doda), the SIA said.
It said that the arrested accused will be produced before the TADA / POTA court Jammu in pursuance of warrants issued against them. The SIA said that the arrested absconders were involved in kidnapping for ransom and threat to kill one Ghulam Mohd Wani resident of Doda on gun point (Case FIR No. 158/1992 under sections 3, 4 of TADA, 364 RPC, 3/25 Arms Act of PS Doda), kidnapping for ransom and killing of Mohd Sadiq and Tariq Hussain of Doda from their home on intervening night of 23/24 April 1993.”
Tariq Hussain was later killed and Mohd Sadiq seriously injured after which a Case FIR No. 48/1993 u/s 3, 4 of TADA, 302, 307 of RPC, 3/25 Arms Act, PS Doda was registered, the SIA said. The SIA said that the arrested accused were “instigating people by setting false narrative during the prayer of Shabae-e-Qadir in Jamia Masjid Doda and other Masques of Doda that atrocities are committed on the innocent people of Kashmir and motivated them to observe strike in Doda on the gun point by these terrorists”.
A case FIR No. 58/1991 u/s 3 and 4 of TADA, 153/194-A RPC of PS Doda was registered in this regard. A huge cache of Arms and ammunition on 22 June 1994 concealed by the accused under the ground at Shambaz area was recovered after which a case FIR No. 101/1994 u/s 3, 4 of TADA, 3/25 Arms Act, PS Doda was registered, the SIA said.
“In pursuance of its larger objective and mandate of achieving zero terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, SIA has initiated a special drive to trace and produce before the concerned Court all absconders of terrorism related cases for facing the trial under law,” it said. The Statement further said SIA has so far verified and identified 369 (215-Jammu and 154-Kashmir) absconders out of 734 absconders (317 in Jammu and 417 in Kashmir) in 327 TADA/POTA cases.
Out of 369 verified absconders, 127 remained untraced, 80 have died and 45 are residing in Pakistan/Pok and other countries abroad and 4 are lodged in jail, the SIA said.
