The Jammu and Kashmir police confirmed in a report by The Tribune that the Border Security Force (BSF) officer, who was arrested in the North Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara, was directed by the Hizbul Mujahideen to teach basics of handling of weapons to new recruits.
Days after a special police officer fled with eight weapons, the police on Thursday had busted a Hizbul Mujahideen module by arresting two members of the terrorist outfit including a BSF man from Kupwara district.
Shakir Ahmad Wani, who had joined the BSF in 1994, was arrested along with his associate Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, both residents of Tekipora (Lolab). The two were over-ground workers (OGWs) of the terror outfit and were engaged in providing logistic support to militants apart from luring youths into the path of terrorism.
The police had confirmed that Wani, posted in the North-East, had gone home on leave for his marriage. “We had an input that there were some militant activities in Kupwara. We arrested the duo and it led to recovery of a weapon. They were running a module to recruit youth for terror activities. We are investigating the case and looking at all angles, including how and when he got in touch with the militant group.”
A police officer on condition of anonymity said that Wani came in contact with the Hizbul in July when he came on 10-day leave to finalise his wedding date. He was given a pistol by the terror outfit, which was recovered after his arrest.
IG, Frontier, BSF, Abhinav Kumar said the arrested man was “posted in Aizawl (Mizoram)”.
A case, FIR No. 77 of 2018 under Sections 7 and 25 of the Arms Act, and under UAPA was registered at Sogam police station.
In July 2018 the younger brother of an IPS officer of the Northeast cadre had joined the terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen after disappearing from his Kashmir university campus on 22nd may this year. Not very long back, one such incident of an Indian army man, Mir Idrees Sultan, who was posted in Bihar, joining the Hizbul Mujahideen had surfaced. His picture too, holding an AK47 rifle had gone viral on social media and Shopian SSP Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar had confirmed that he had joined the terrorist organization.
Earlier in July last year, it was reported that Zahoor Ahmad Thokar of 173 Territorial Army had also joined Hizbul Mujahideen. In May last year, a J&K Police member had joined the ranks in Hizbul Mujahideen. J&K Police constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq Shah had decamped with service rifles.
