Stone pelting module unearthed in Sopore, claims police

Sopore: Police on Monday claimed to have unearthed a stone pelting module in Sopore town of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, comprising government employees, Hurriyat Conference (G) activists and the militants.

Addressing a news conference here, Deputy Inspector General of police (DIG) North Kashmir, Muneer Ahmad Khan claimed that Sopore police arrested a person namely Firdous Ahmad Sheikh aka Firbal of Jalalabad, Sopore, who during questioning, “revealed the nexus between militants particularly Qalimullah of HUM and Abdullah Uni of LeT, Hurriyat cadres, some government employees and the stone pelters.”

“ Subsequently numerous arrests were made on his revelation, and on the  basis of confession of pelters who were planning fidayeen attack on forces establishment, a haul of arms and ammunition were recovered from the residential house of one Mohammad Amin Dar, a resident of  Badami Bagh, Sopore,”  Khan said.

The recoveries include one pistol, one pistol magazine, two Satellite phones (Thurya), one grenade, one Tata Mobile Set, one AK 47 rifle, 10 AK 47 magazines, 32 AK rounds, one AK Butt, one Bayonet, two Combat uniforms, one Pistol cover, one Composer, three pouches, 11 UBGL shells and one UBGL, he added.

Khan claimed that one of the stone pelters, Abdul Lateef Lone, a resident of Radbough, Kupwara who was operating as an Imam at Jamia Masjid Amargarh, Sopore revealed during questioning that stone pelters are being paid Rs 400 on Fridays by Hurriyat(G) cadres.

“Maximum chunk of this money came from Fruit Mandi and Saw Mills. Among these Hurriyat cadres raising money for the stone pelters, Ghulam Mohammad Tantray of Behrampora and Mohammad Rustum of Amargarh, Sopore have been detained under PSA  while Ghulam Hassan Mir aka Chotta Geelani of Duroo and Gani Guroo of Chankhan are absconding. Besides them,  Ashraf Malik of Batpora  , an employee with education department is also  in custody  while an employee of Food & Supplies department, Bashir Ahmad Tali of Chankhan, Sopore is currently absconding,” he said.

DIG North Kashmir added that during the current year so far 26 militants including five local militants were killed, 12 militants including a foreign militant were arrested and huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered.

Two militants namely Qayoom Bajad and Munshi Khan were arrested who during interrogation confessed that they were managing the safe passage to the militants from Sopore to Rajouri.

Khan also said gthat Police has busted a gang of trans- State highway robbers and arrested two key members of the gang namely Munish Sharma aka Mini son of Krishan Sharma of Baltana, Mohali Punjab and Parveen Malik son of Rajinder Malik of Pepli Khairwa, Sonipat, Haryana.

In the latest of their kind they have robbed one person namely Jai Kishan alias Billu of Chandigarh who is owner of iron company “Halengkult Pvt. Ltd Barotawali Himachal Pradesh”. The duo along with Vijay of Bega Sonipat robbed about Rs. 6, 14000/- when he (owner of the iron company) was traveling from Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh in his Swift Car.

The duos had entered into the valley and were hiding in the house of Bashir Ahmad Zargar S/O Mohammad Ahsan Zargar R/o Behrampora Rafiabad. An amount of Rs. 1,80,000/- was recovered from the duo in cash and rest money have been spent  by them on account of hotel charges, traveling fare,  shopping etc and Rs. 2,00000/- have been taken by their accomplice Vijay who has been arrested by Punjab Police.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Sopore, Altaf Ahmad Khan SP Sopore and Commanding Officer, CRPF 179 Battalion V K Singh was also present on this occasion.