SRINAGAR: Federal investigator, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reported to have filed a charge sheet in the sensational case of stealing seven AK 47 rifles and a pistol from the residence of a former PDP lawmaker, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, newspaper Mumbai Mirror reported. Basically a Jammu and Kashmir Police case, the investigations were taken over by the NIA later.
The main police case was registered against Adil Bashir Sheikh, an SPO, who was deployed on security duty of the lawmaker at his Jawahar Nagar residence.
The charge-sheet was filed in the Special NIA Court, Jammu against accused Rafique Ahmad Bhat and absconder Adil Bashir Sheikh u/s 120B, 381 Ranbir Penal Code, sections 18, 20, 23, 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act, and Section 7, 25 of the Arms Act.
The newspaper has quoted NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal saying: “Last year during investigation, NIA arrested accused Rafique Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Pulwama. It was revealed that Adil Bashir Sheikh, Yawar Ahmad Dar and Rafique Ahmad Bhat had conspired with Abid Manzoor Magray, who was an active terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen, to steal arms and ammunition for distributing these among active cadres and recruits of Hizbul Mujahideen for furthering their terror activities.”
The politician was out of his residence and his security ring had left the weapons at the official residence when they were stolen. The incident took place on September 28, last year.
“While SPO Adil Bashir Sheikh entered the house on the pretext of cleaning, the other two waited outside in a Maruti Alto car,” the newspaper said. “Thereafter, they decamped with the weapons and fled towards Achan village, where they hid the weapons in a field.”
The newspaper quoted the official saying that during investigation, role of Syed Naveed Babu and Hizbul Commander Riyaz Naikoo emerged “for radicalising and training Hizbul terrorists.”
Of the accused persons identified by the NIA, the newspaper said two of them Yawar Ahmad Dar and Abid Manzoor Magray have already been killed in separate encounters. All the three persons who had stolen the weapons had later joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. They were killed on May 16, 2019 and May 31, 2019, respectively.
In a handout issued to the media, the NIA said the basic FIR (57 of 2018) was registered with Police Station Rajbagh on September 28, 2018. It was subsequently taken over by NIA for investigation as RC-32/2018/NIA/DLI dated 18th October, 2018. During investigation, NIA arrested accused Rafique Ahmad Bhat s/o Mohammad. Ashraf Bhat r/o Achan, Pulwama, on December 10, 2018.
During the investigations, the NIA sleuths investigated Mir many times.
Meanwhile, the NIA produced three Kashmiri separatists before a Delhi court and took their remanded for10-day custodial interrogation. They are Asiya Andrabi, Shabir Shah and Masarat Aalam, reports appearing in media said.
