SRINAGAR: Police in Baramulla district have arrested a man from Kulgam in connection with the theft of Rs 83,000 from a Khidmat Centre in the Pattan area and recovered Rs 5,130 from his residence, police said on Monday.
The case was registered after Mir Waheed, son of Mohd Ayoub Mir of Mamoosa, Pattan, approached Police Station Pattan on 25 September 2026. Waheed told police that he operated a Khidmat Centre bearing Code No. JKBAR5691 at Mirpora, Mamoosa.
According to the complaint, he had left the centre to offer Jumma prayers. On returning, he found that an unidentified person had entered the premises and taken Rs 83,000 in cash. The CCTV storage device installed at the centre was also missing.
Police subsequently registered FIR No. 222/2026 under Sections 305 and 331(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Pattan and launched an investigation.
During the investigation, police used technical inputs and the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) Portal to identify the suspect as Rameez Ahmad Naikoo, son of Gh. Mohammad Naikoo, a resident of Bhan in Kulgam.
A police team was sent to Kulgam, where Naikoo was apprehended and arrested following sustained efforts, police said.
Following his disclosure, Rs 5,130 in cash was recovered from his residential house and seized in accordance with due procedure.
Police said verification through the ICJS Portal and records of various police stations showed that Naikoo had previously been involved in 14 theft-related cases registered across different parts of the Valley.
These include cases registered at Police Station Qazigund in 2021; Keller in Shopian, Srigufwara in Anantnag, Rajpora in Pulwama, and Awantipora in 2023; Awantipora, Kokernag and Handwara in 2024; Tarzoo in 2025; and Tral and Anantnag in 2026.
The previous cases cited by police are FIR No. 120/2021 under Sections 457, 380 and 511 IPC at Police Station Qazigund; FIR No. 16/2023 under Sections 454, 380 and 210 IPC at Police Station Keller; FIR No. 41/2023 under Sections 454, 380 and 201 IPC at Police Station Srigufwara; FIR No. 99/2023 under Sections 454, 380 and 201 IPC at Police Station Rajpora; FIR No. 161/2023 under Section 379 IPC at Police Station Awantipora; FIR Nos. 197/2023 and 198/2023 under Sections 454, 380 and 201 IPC at Police Station Awantipora; FIR No. 247/2023 under Sections 454 and 380 IPC at Police Station Pattan; FIR No. 19/2024 under Sections 454 and 380 IPC at Police Station Awantipora; FIR No. 24/2024 under Sections 454 and 380 IPC at Police Station Kokernag; FIR No. 154/2024 under Sections 454 and 380 IPC at Police Station Handwara; FIR No. 11/2025 under Sections 331(3) and 305 BNS at Police Station Tarzoo; FIR No. 82/2026 under Sections 305, 331(3) and 238 BNS at Police Station Tral; and FIR No. 249/2026 under Sections 305, 331(3) and 238 BNS at Police Station Anantnag.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish the accused’s involvement in the Pattan theft and recover the remaining stolen property.
