The J&K Police are likely to attach the residential house of a militant who is a suspect in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit and wounding of another in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Tuesday, August 16. The police said two terrorists were involved in the attack.
“A process has been started to attach the property of the involved terrorist,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar told The Hindu.
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An FIR has been filed. “During the initial investigation, the involvement of an active terrorist, Adil Ahmad Wani, surfaced,” the police said. Security forces also worked on an input on Wani’s presence at his ancestral house at Kutpora in Shopian on Wednesday.
Earlier in the night, the police had said they had zeroed in and engaged militants in Shopian’s Kutpora area but they managed to escape the cordon. “A joint operation was launched in the early hours. During the search, terrorists lobbed a grenade on the search party, which was retaliated by the search party. However, the terrorists escaped, taking benefit of darkness,” the police said. The police said a hideout had been discovered on the rooftop of the house where arms and ammunition, including one AK rifle, a magazine, and one pistol, were found.
A separate FIR was registered under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Wednesday. “Three people were arrested in the above case FIR for harbouring terrorists Arif Ahmad Wani, Shabir Ahmad Wani and Touseef Ahmad Wani, all sons of Mohd Khalil Wani. A process for attachment of property as proceed of terrorism has been initiated under Section 25 of the UAPA,” the police said. All three persons arrested are kin of on-the-run militant Wani.
In Srinagar, J&K Police directed people to install mandatory high security number plates (HSNP) on their vehicles in an attempt to check the use of vehicles by militants to carry out attacks in the city. “In light of investigations into the usage of vehicles for transport by militants, all owners are requested to install HSNP on both the front and rear of vehicles, including two-wheelers,” the police said. Any non-compliance will lead to legal action, including seizure of such vehicles, the police warned. “Further, all persons selling, renting or providing vehicles, including two wheelers, are also requested to verify credentials of such buyer and user from the nearest police station before handing over vehicle,” the police said.
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Meanwhile, a little-known militant outfit, Kashmir Freedom Fighters, has claimed responsibility for the Shopian attack on members of the minority community. “They [the Pandits] were core members of agencies in generating inputs about freedom fighters and were forcing people for so-called Tiranga rallies,” the outfit claimed in a poster posted on social media.
It warned of more attacks. “If anybody is involved in changing demography in Kashmir, whether Pandits or non-locals. They will meet the same fate,” it said.
