New Delhi: PoK-based Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Mohammad Qasim Gujjar faces at least 15 cases of terrorism and blasts apart from being charge-sheeted in connection with a grenade attack on a BJP leader, ThePrint has learnt.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared Qasim a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act).
The Reasi native joined militancy in 2002 and crossed to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir seven years later to find a safe haven there, a senior J&K police officer told ThePrint.
His terror activities and criminal conspiracy are spread across Jammu region and, hence, there are multiple cases filed in Rajouri, Reasi, and Ramban police districts, the officer further said.
The police officer, who has worked on cases in which Qasim is accused, said that the Lashkar operative joined militancy at the “height of militancy” in the region and started off as a low-level operative.
“When the pressure came, he ran across the border in 2009 and made his base in PoK from where he is trying to reach out to families of dead militants and residents of his home district Reasi to join Lashkar while being settled in Jammu and Kashmir. He is also reaching out to his relatives to persuade them to join terror activities planned by him,” the police officer told ThePrint.
“He zeroes in on people who give their location of Reasi and tries to convince them by saying that he wants to give some gift. Then he proceeds to transfer cash and finally follows up with the supply of weapons by drones to individuals who sign up with his idea.”
The officer further said that Qasim had not been that active for nearly a decade since he fled to PoK but after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, he started working on the module to influence relatives and residents of Reasi district.
Another police officer said that nearly 50 residents under Mahore tehsil of Reasi district crossed the border and worked as terror operatives from PoK but Qasim was the most troubling operative as he was trying to recruit and radicalise by all possible means including Facebook which is used by nearly all of the population.
“Last year only police had to put five people on preventive detention to prevent any untoward incident as they were in touch with Qasim.”
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What MHA notification says
In a gazette notification, the MHA said that Qasim was listed as an individual terrorist number 57 under the fourth schedule of the UAPA as he was involved in several terrorist attacks and bomb blasts leading to the death of people.
It added that Qasim is carrying out terrorist activities such as identifying locations to drop Improvised Explosive Device (IED), ammunition, arms as well as coordinating and supplying them from across the border to “wage war” against India.
“Mohammad Qasim Gujjar @ Salman @ Suleman with intention to wage war against the country is involved in carrying out wide range of terrorist activities including coordinating, supplying, identifying locations of drone for dropping of arms, ammunition, IED and cash etc. and delivering and managing consignments from across the border,” the MHA notification said.
Additionally, the MHA said that Qasim has been involved in the recruitment and radicalisation of youth through social media.
“And, whereas, the said Mohammad Qasim Gujjar @ Salman @ Suleman, to widen the areas of terror activities, has been involved in creating new terror modules by recruitment and radicalisation by various means including social media and other online encrypted communication applications,” the gazette notification said.
Attack on BJP leader’s home
Though he was under the scanner of the security set-up in the region, the Lashkar operative became a wanted individual after a grenade attack was carried out on the residence of a BJP leader in Reasi on 13 August 2021.
The BJP leader’s nephew was killed and six of his relatives seriously injured in the attack.
In January last year, the J&K Police arrested Lashkar operative Altaf Hussain Shah, a native of Draj area, who was charge-sheeted along with Qasim.
“Rajouri police filed a charge sheet in the case before the court of third additional sessions judge Jammu against two LeT associates namely Altaf Hussain Shah of Draj in Koteranka and Mohammad Qasim of Angrala, Mahore,” a police spokesperson had said last year.
“The accused were associated with terrorist outfit LeT. The investigation exposed their terror network in J&K and PoK. The charge sheet was filed by Dy SP headquarters, Rajouri, Chanchal Singh before the court,” the spokesperson had said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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