Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed to have arrested three persons involved in Lal Chowk’s Partap Park grenade attack.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Dr Haseeb Mughal said that on a credible input police arrested three militant associates for their involvement in militant related activities.
“In pursuance of the investigation of case FIR NO: 10/2020 pertaining to a recent militant attack at Lal Chowk, Police was able to identify three militant associates who were involved in establishing of militant networks and facilitating the execution of militant activities across the Valley,” said SSP Srinagar while addressing a press conference in Srinagar.
“The three militant associates have been identified as Naveed-ul-Lateef Padroo, Shakeel Ahmad Band, both residents of Pulwama and Shamshad Manzoor a resident of Shopian,” he said.
Shakeel is the nephew of former PDP legislator Muhammad Khalil Bandh. Shakeel was staying with Bandh at his official residence at Tulsi Bagh Srinagar for the past three years, said SSP Srinagar.
The SSP said that Naveed was influenced by Shakeel so was his friend Shamshad. “On the directions of Shakeel, Naveed and Shakeel agreed to lob a grenade and decided to go for a toss. Naveed won the toss and lobbed a grenade at Pratap Park in which six civilians and two CRPF Personnel got injured.”
He said that as per police records they were linked to proscribed militant outfit JeM and were involved in a recent grenade attack at Pratap Park.
“Officers while investigating the case learnt about their involvement in militant related activities. According to the police investigation they had established their links with the militants across the border in Pakistan using internet and VPN and on the direction of a Pakistani based militant Shaheen, they were extending the networks in the valley,” said SSP Srinagar.
He said that investigation also reveals that Shakeel was communicating with the Pakistani militant Shaheen and sought the assistance of locals Naveed and Shamshad for carrying out the attack in Srinagar, accordingly the trio conspired to carry out an attack in Srinagar and obtained grenades from a local militant associate in Srinagar.
“As planned, on February 2 the trio lobbed a grenade at Pratap Park Srinagar regarding which a case FIR number 10/2020 u/s 307 IPC,3/5 Explosive substance Act, 23 ULA(P) Act under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Kothibagh,” said SSP Srinagar.
He said that the purpose of their activities was to derail the life activities picking up across the Valley and to create a sense of fear among the general public.
“Arrest of the trio has given a major jolt to JeM, which was just settling down and extending its network in Srinagar,” he added.
“Police while investigating the case taking aid of modern scientific methods of investigation were able to identify the individuals involved in the crime. Subsequently, teams were sent to arrest the identified individual involved in the crime,” said Dr Haseeb Mughal.
“Srinagar Police is committed to ensuring peace and tranquillity so that all life activities take place with a sense of security in coming days,” he said.
“Further investigation is going on and more arrests and recoveries are anticipated.CRPF also helped us in following the investigation in the matter,” said SSP Srinagar.
