Jammu, May 11: Police on Wednesday claimed to have worked out case of car bomb blast near Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur and arrested a government official for assisting Lashkar-e-Toiba militant to execute the task.
 The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu, Dilbagh Singh said that the main conspirator, a LeT militant identified as Ghulam Sarwar alias Firdos, a resident of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), who planned and executed the blast, was still at large.
 “Sarwar with the help of a Junior Agriculture Assistant identified as Abdul Mujeed, resident of Behrote tehsil Thanamandi district Rajouri, officiating as AEO (Agricultural  Extension officer) at Thanamandi established his network in the state. He acted as a sleeper cell in Jammu for quite a long time,” Dilbagh Singh told reporters here on Wednesday evening.
 Singh said the AEO was tasked to settle the Sarwar in Jammu and also act as his guardian. “Sarwar with the help of Mujeed managed to get rented accommodation at Gujjar Nagar, Bhatindi, Sidhra and Nagrota on his fake identity. He even married a local girl and gained the faith of local populace. Abdul Mujeed and commanders of LeT outfit also managed to get his institutional documents which include state subject, ration card, driving licence and Identity card from an institute at Kanpur and DOB of CBSE,” the IGP disclosed.
 On May 2, a civilian was killed and five others had sustained injuries in a car blast near Northern Command headquarters. A top Army officer, Major General D S Pathania had a narrow escape in the blast.
 “Immediately after the car bomb blast at Birhon bridge on highway in Udhampur, a special investigation team was constituted, which took a lead from the car used in the blast to investigate the matter. Special teams were deputed to Delhi and other adjoining places to collect all the relevant records pertaining to the vehicle used in the blast as well as photographs of the owner of the vehicle,” he said.
 The IGP said that the car, which they used to carry out blast, was purchased from New Delhi at a cost of Rs 27,000 and it was purchased on the name of AEO who posed himself as uncle of Sarwar.
 Mujeed had also purchased a Sumo (JK08A/3878) on the directions of LeT Commanders after making payment worth Rs 2.5 lakh for Ghulam Sarwar with J&K route permit, he said adding, Sarwar plied the vehicle on different routes of the state and later purchased one truck (.4112/JK02AE).
 “The LeT militant kept his wife in dark and he left the home on May 2, saying his uncle (Mujeed) was ailing and he was going to Delhi for his uncle’s treatment. His wife has been picked up for questioning but no formal case had been registered against her,” the IGP said.
 He said the LeT commanders Osama and Hanjla guided Sarwar for establishing his network in Jammu region. “Osama was killed by Rukshana Kousar while Hanjla and his associate Usman were washed away in strong current of river in Rajouri district few days back,” he said.
 The IGP said that it has seized the Sumo and remote control and all other material used for triggering the car bomb.
 He, however, said the police would give suitable reward to the person who will provide necessary inputs for the arrest of absconding LeT militant.
 The IGP said the possibility of another accomplice of Sarwar, who helped him to carry out his activities, could not be ruled out.
 “The possibility of some government officials’ connivance to issue state subject, ration card, driving license and other documents is not ruled out and it is the matter of investigation,” he maintained.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 IST