82 among 1400 “stone-pelters” arrested under detention: DIG Police

Srinagar: Police on Thursday said it had arrested 1400 “stone-pelters” from Srinagar district during 2010-11 out of which only 82 were currently under detention.“An undue hype has been created by certain quarters about the detention of youth but the fact is that only 82 stone pelters are under detention out of the 1400 arrested during 2010 and 2011,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Central Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir said at a press conference here today, in response to a question.He claimed that militancy was on decline in Kashmir but not over. “It’s not over, but definitely on the decline. In central Kashmir there are only 50 militants including some foreign nationals,” he said, adding that the police was doing its best to curb militancy.Earlier, Mir said that the City police of North Zone, Srinagar has busted a gang of drug peddlers and arrested five persons of the gang.In a special drive launched by North Zone Srinagar police, he said, Naka’s were established at various places. “One naka was established at Nawabazar Chowk on March 8  by Police Station M. R. Gunj where a Santro vehicle( JK01L-7650) driven by one Sajad Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Rehman Dar resident of Malik Angan Fateh Kadal, Srinagar was stopped for searching. During the search of the car 143 bottles of Recodex and 96 Tablets of Parvan were recovered from his possession,” he said.On his sustained questioning he disclosed having a dump at Moominabad Batamaloo. A raid was conducted at that place on his instance which led to the recovery of 720 bottles of Recodex and 100 bottles of R-coff. The suspect further deposed that he is having local distributors at Shalimar, Court Road Lal Chowk Srinagar, Chanapora and Pattan Baramulla, Mir added.“On his disclosure four persons namely Farooq Ahmad son of Mohammad Rajab resident of Court Road, Lal Chowk, Srinagar, Sameer Ahmad Nagoo son of Muzaffar Nagoo resident of Arbal, Shalimar running a clinical lab at Arbal HIZ Lab, Bilal Ahmad Wani son Ghulam Mohammad Wani resident of Lal Nagar, Chanapora an auto driver of auto JK01B-6325, Bilal Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Ahmad resident of Bhat Mohalla, Pattan were arrested. Huge haul of Recodex and R-Coff were recovered from the arrested persons.”A case FIR No. 17/2011 under section 5, 6/13 DCO has been registered in Police Station M.R Gunj in this regard. Investigation of the case is going on and further arrests, recoveries are expected.