Funds raising under investigation
Accused arranged mobile phone for Saifullah
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 13: With the arrest of two terror operatives including a Government teacher and a Maruti Van driver, the focus has shifted on the network which generated funds and provided all other kind of logistical support to slain Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Saifullah, a dreaded Pakistani terrorist and his associates, who were gunned down in the upper reaches of Chatroo in Kishtwar district in February this year.
“Half a dozen more terror operatives including one or two Government employees are still under the radar of police and Intelligence agencies and evidence is being gathered against them before their arrests,’’ official sources told .
They said the fund raising is being investigated as one of the Government teachers had arranged a costly mobile telephone for Saifullah through which he stayed in contact with Pakistani operatives and top commanders in the Kashmir Valley as well as Pakistan taking directions on their movement and targets.
“Not only the mobile telephone but lavish food and other arrangements were also made for Saifullah and his associates in upper reaches of Kishtwar,’’ the sources said.
Following the killing of Saifullah and his three associates by security forces in Chatroo hills in February, Excelsior had exclusively reported how the over ground network including couple of Government employees helped Saifulllah survive in the hills by making all kind of living arrangements, serving him food including biryani and other items of necessity.
A photo had also gone viral with Saifullah and his associates enjoying biryani in a house.
Meanwhile, police have formally arrested Mashkoor Ahmed son of Mohd Ramzan, a Government teacher and a resident of Beighpora, Singhpora and Maneer Ahmed R/o Bandeyam, Naidgam, a Maruti Van driver, both from Kishtwar district for helping the foreign terrorists including Saifullah in their hideout at Chatroo.
A case has been registered at Police Station Chatroo, invoking Sections 61(2), 109, 147, 148 of BNS; Sections 13, 16, 18, 19, 20 of UAPA; and Section 7/27 of the Arms Act.
SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh while sharing the details stated that through meticulous investigation and precise operations, police apprehended the duo, who was directly implicated in facilitating the terrorists’ hideout.
“The arrests disrupt critical logistics supporting terror activities in the region,’’ Singh said.
Saifullah survived 17 encounters before being eliminated by the troops in upper reaches of Chatroo on February 23 along with two top terrorists. One of their associates was killed in Chatroo on February 3.
It was a mystery as to how the foreign terrorists survived for two or even more years in upper reaches of Kishtwar though sometimes they used to shift to surrounding mountains of Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts. The OGW network was being searched even when Saifullah was alive but the investigations gained momentum after his killing.
As per the officials, there were some persons who were forced to give food, water and other goods to the terrorists at gun point while some others offered all kind of assistance to the anti-national elements voluntarily including the biryani.
Dossiers of some of the OGWs are being prepared for detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) while documents are being readied for termination of the Government teacher from services.
