Jammu cop charged for hand in explosions

Jammu cop charged for hand in explosions
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

JAMMU, MARCH 18: A phone call from an STD booth to Delhi soon after the Krishna Nagar blast saying kaam ho gaya hai (work has been done) landed Altaf Ahmad of Rajouri, a selection grade constable, in the police net.

While the cop has been charged with involvement in series of blasts that rocked Jammu city during the last two months, the police have also picked up Khurshid Ahmad, an employee of the State Legislative Assembly, for questioning. But, after investigations he was given a clean chit.

Both Altaf and Khurshid were sharing a Government flat in Company Bagh area near Jewel Chowk here, said Inspector General of Police, Jammu, R V Raju, at a press conference here.

Considered to be a prize catch by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of police, Altaf's arrest had taken the lid of ISI presence in counter insurgency agencies.The arrested cop is reported to have revealed the names of other accomplices.

Giving detail, the IGP said that the SOG had started tapping all the telephone booths immediately after the Krishna Nagar blast and succeeded in trailing the suspect and finally searched the flat at Company Bagh (No L-2) allotted to Altaf.

Incriminating material including cassettes including some pamphlets of Maulana Maudodi, a founder member of Jamait-e-Islami in Pakistan, were recovered from there. Pointing out that the pamphlets were printed in Delhi, the IGP said that the seizures also included a Pakistani Urdu magazine Zarab Haq containing the profiles of various militants killed during encounters by Indian troops.

The cassettes contained songs like `Crush Crush India because Kashmir jal raha hai' (Kashmir is burning). These cassettes are aimed at inciting the youth for jehad (holy war) against India.

Apart from this, the SOG also seized a hand written press note written by Altaf on the letter head of Islamic Front, warning Indian forces of dire consequences if they did not stop atrocities against innocent Kashmiris in the Valley. The press-note also boasted of militants' capability to strike anywhere in any part of the country.

Raju said that the search party also recovered the receipts of various STD calls made by him to Delhi and Srinagar, besides newspapers carrying reports of the blasts. During interrogation, Altaf revealed that these newspapers were to be sent to Pakistan to get payments for the blasts.

Raju also quoted Altaf having revealed during interrogation that he had received a cheque of Rs 30,000 for these blasts including one at the Company Bagh flats from Adil in Srinagar. The police has seized the amount deposited by him as a fixed deposit in a Rajouri branch of the Jammu Kashmir Bank.

Altaf, who had joined the police force in 1984, came in contact with the JKLF during 1990. However, after having differences with the JKLF, he shifted his loyalties to the Al Mujahid for a brief period. He reportedly established contacts with Adil alias Shabir of Jammu Kashmir Islamic Front during his stint in security wing of the police during 1997. Altaf used to pass on information to them, Raju added.

However, he actively started participating in subversive activities only after he proceeded on leave on the pretext of his brother's marriage, the IGP said. During that period, he reportedly went to Delhi along with Adil, he said and added that the police are yet to verify the identity of the latter.

From Delhi, he along with one Javed, went to Kathmandu where he met an ISI agent Mehraj-u-Din, who arranged a ticket for Altaf to Karachi in a PIA flight under the fake name of Fayaz Ahmad. There, he boarded a local flight to Islamabad and met the Islamic Front supremo Bilal Beigh. The meeting was also attended by Brigadier Rijaj, an ISI handler, IGP added.

Pointing out that Altaf was imparted training in fabricating the IEDs at Sialkot, Raju said that he sneaked into the Indian territory through R S Pura sector along with a consignment of arms and ammunition.

Some of the smuggled booty seized by the police included five kgs of RDX, four AK 47 rifles, 15 grenades and huge quantity of ammunition. Significantly, the cop got his salary even for over the month he remained absent from duty, IGP said and added that a level high inquiry has been ordered.

* January 27: At about 3:30 am an IED explosion damaged a car belonging to the Khadi Industries parked in Company Bagh flats. The explosion was so strong that the window panes of adjoining buildings were shattered.

* February 11: Militants strike once again by planting an IED with RDX at Krishna Nagar locality, opposite GGM Science College in the heart of Jammu city killing six persons and injuring 25 others, three of them seriously.