Srinagar
Inspector General of Police, Muneer Ahmad Khan on Monday said that police have arrested a close aide of slain Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Bashir Lashkari.
Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room in Srinagar, the IGP said that they have busted a module of Lashkar-e-Toiba by arresting Sandeep Kumar, alias Adil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar area of Uttar Pradesh.
Bashir Lashkari was recently killed in an encounter with forces. Sandeep Sharma a non-local was in the same house where Lashkari took shelter, Khan said.
Khan said that the militants of Lashkar took help of Sandeep to loot ATMs, and they also indulged in “immoral activities” in the villages.
The top cop said that Sandeep was also involved in militant attack on policemen in Achabal that left six cops, including an SHO dead. “He was also involved in bank robbery cases.”
“He (Sandeep) was a criminal, he got in touch with Lashkar through one Shakoor of Sopore,” the IGP said.
IGP said that Sandeep Sharma, son of Ram Sharma was detained for questioning after he was rescued from the house where Bashir Lashkari was killed in a gunfight with forces in Brenti-Batpora village in Dialgam area of Islamabad district.
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Below, Kashmir Life, reproduces the contents of the press release that was issued after the press conference by IGP Muneer Khan:
In a major breakthrough, Police Islamabad with strenuous efforts busted a module involved in series of sensational crimes including terror crimes in South Kashmir. Two individuals Sandeep Kumar Sharma @ Adil of U.P and Muneeb Shah of Kulgam as a part of this module have been arrested. Complicity of Sandeep Sharma has been found in the following cases:-
a) Attack on Army convoy at Lower Munda Qazigund (NHW) on 03.06.2017 near Lower Munda opposite Tool Post Qzd. Case FIR No. 138/2017 U/S 302 RPC 7/25 Act (P/S Qazigund)
b) Weapon snatching incident at Guard posted at residence of Justice Attar’s Anchidoora on 13.06.2017. Case FIR No. 131/2017 U/S 307 RPC 7/27 A Act (P/S Anantnag)
c) Attack on Police Party of Achabal on 16.06.2017 at Thajiwara Achabal in which “06” Police personnel got martyrdom. Case FIR No. 82/2017 U/S 302,397,427 RPC 7/27 A Act (P/S Achabal)
Besides the above, he alongwith his associates was also involved in number of ATM Loots which are as follow:
a) On 18/19.01.2017 at Momin Abad Ashajipora. Case FIR 07/2017 U/S 457,380 RPC (P/S Anantnag)
b) On 20/21-04-2017 at K.P Road G.B Stand Anantnag. Case FIR No.66/2017 U/S 457,380 RPC (P/S Anantnag)
c) On 22./23-05-2017 at Larkipra SBI ATM .Case FIR No.105/2017 U/S 457,380 ,511 RPC ( P/S Anantnag)
d) On 30/31-05-2017 at Achabal Adda (SBI ATM) .Case FIR No.114/2017 U/S 457,380 RPC (P/S Anantnag)
e) On 17/18.06.2017 at Zirpora Bijbehara (SBI ATM). Case FIR No.79/2017 U/S 457,380 RPC (P/S Bijbehara)
- The said module is a part of LET terrorist group. In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, which started sometime in January 2017, the subject and some of his associates (valley based) came from Patiala to Kashmir for carrying out criminal activities. Consequently, the group stayed at Wanpoh and soon got involved in different kinds of robberies including ATM looting in South Kashmir. In these crimes, they worked in conjunction with LET in South Kashmir.
- The subject alongwith some other associates were arrested at PP Mir Bazar in a robbery case sometime in March 2017 and remained in judicial custody until bailed out.
- Consequently, he joined Bashir Lashker of LET and worked as key aid. He was present in a house at Brinty Dialgam where the encounter took place on 01.07.2017 leading to the elimination of wanted LET Commander Bashir Ahmad Wani @ Lashkar @ Ukasha and Abu Maaz of Pakistan.
- The subject used his old acquaintances and came in touch with a family at Brinty Dialgam. With the active pursuance of his associates he became part of the Over Ground worker for LeT. During the encounter, he was rescued alongwith other members of the family by the Police.
- On further inquiry by Police, it was revealed that Sandeep Kumar Sharma @ Adil alongwith other individuals hatched a criminal conspiracy leading to providing shelter, ferrying of terrorists from one place to other for terror strikes and actively participating in terrorist activities.
- At present investigation is in progress and the subject has been arrested. On the directions of LeT the subject alongwith his associates received LeT terrorists and dropped them at different sites for the terror action in South Kashmir . He also concealed weapons looted from Police guards in a vehicle and shifted them to different locations on the directions of LeT.
- Investigation is going on for ascertaining the roles of his others associates in the crimes. Investigation so far conducted has revealed that LeT in league with criminal network is raising money by looting banks especially ATMs in South Kashmir Range, besides using these networks to further terrorist activities.
