New Delhi: The chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 24 November 2018 grenade attack on a police party in Srinagar has said that three arrested suspects were “highly radicalised” and in touch with “Pakistani handlers”.
It also said that they carried out the operation in a bid to validate the presence of Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) – a frontal outfit of ISIS in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of four suspects were arrested in the case.
In the attack last year, grenades were lobbed by the suspects at a police party in a tourist reception centre in Srinagar. Four suspects were arrested – Tahir, Haris Mushtaq, Asif Nadaf and Asif Majeed.
Of the three, the chargesheet identified Nadaf as a “chronic stone pelter” who has two cases against his name in Rainawari and Tahir police stations. He was also booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Awantipora.
“From evidence in the form of documentary, electronic, forensic, data retrieved from electronic devices, recovery of material exhibits, it is established that accused Tahir, Mushtaq, Nadaf are active terrorists of the ISJK. They were in illegal possession of weapons, explosives and made attempts to lob grenade at the police,” the chargesheet mentions.
It adds: “Asif Majeed, on the other hand, had provided shelter, food and logistics to ISJK terrorists. He was also in possession of illegal arms.”
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ISJK got in touch with suspects online
The chargesheet mentions that Tahir had come into contact with Asif when, a self-styled commandant of ISJK, who supplied him ‘jihadi’ content. Videos and photos were shared by Asif to Tahir online. Tahir was then put in touch with Abu Huzaifa, an active cadre of the ISIS in Afghanistan.
On 2 September 2018 Asif had met Tahir in Srinagar following which the latter was asked to handle operations in the Kashmir Valley.
“Tahir’s laptop have a series of photos of terrorists holding weapons, ISIS videos, incriminating documents and banned literature such as ‘ye gubar chat na payega’ (dust will never settle down), hum kitam quyan kar rahen hai, speech of Baghdadi, mujahiddin Islam ke naam fir paigam, speech of Sheikh Abdul Hassan Mahajir and defaye millat-e-Ibrahim,” the charge sheet mentions.
Second accused Mushtaq too came in touch with the ISJK on social media.
“He too came in contact with Huzaifa. Mushtaq stated that he wanted to join the ISJK after Burhan Wani’s death,” says the chargesheet.
Propagating jihad through Telegram channel
According to the NIA, chats recovered at the time of investigation revealed that Tahir was propagating jihad through his Telegram channel @ahlutawheed7. He was also in touch with several other militant outfits.
The chats recovered also showed that Tahir was a supporter of the Kashmiri militant Zakir Musa, the chargesheet states.
Took bike on pretext of fetching medicines for mother
The motorcycle used in the crime was allegedly borrowed by Tahir from his friend on the pretext of purchasing medicines for his mother.
“It is the same bike on which the three men rode when they attacked the police party,” a source in the agency, who did not wish to be identified, said.
NIA’s investigation in the case has also revealed that apart from logistical support from the ISJK members, a few Kashmiri locals had also provided them food, shelter and money. The locals were working as OGWs (on ground workers), the charge sheet mentions.
“We are also conducting an inquiry in the involvement of locals in the case,” the source added.
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