Police on Friday said that three persons have been arrested for attack on the son of Krishna Dhaba owner in Dalgate area of Srinagar.
Police said that the case was cracked within 48 hours and investigations were supervised by Deputy Inspector of Police, Central Kashmir, Amit Kumar.
Those who have been arrested were identified by police as Suhail Ahmad Mir son of Fateh Muhammad Mir resident of Dangerpora Nowgam, Owais Manzoor Sofi son of Manzoor Ahmad Sofi resident of Dangarpora and Vilayat Aziz Mir son of Abdul Aziz Mir resident of Hanipora Wampora Pulwama.
Owais Manzoor, police said, was previously involved in case FIR No 46/2018 under section 148, 149, 336, 152 RPC of PS Nowgam. The case was challaned on 4/12/2018 at district & sessions judge Budgam.
On Wednesday, militants shot at a man working at a popular eatery in Kashmir, Krishna Dhaba, in the Dalgate area of Srinagar wounding one person identified as Aakash Mehra.
It was the second attack on a businessman in Kashmir. Earlier, on December 31, militants shot dead a goldsmith Satpal Nischal at a busy Srinagar market at Sarai Bala.
Immediately after Wednesday’s attack, IGP Kashmir said Srinagar police with the help of CCTV footage and technical assistance started working on certain leads.
“After hectic efforts on technical and human intelligence we zeroed in on certain clues and tied up with district police Pulwama and district police Anantnag,” he said adding that on the basis of intelligence, many suspected spots were raided by the joint team of Srinagar and Pulwama police which led to arrest of Vilayat Aziz Mir son of Abdul Aziz Mir resident of Hanipora Wampora Pulwama.
Similarly, by another joint team of Srinagar and Anantnag police various suspected spots were raided in Anantnag district, which led to the arrest of Suhail Ahmad Mir son of Fateh Mohd Mir and Owais Manzoor Sofi son of Manzoor Ahmad Sofi, both residents of Dangarpora.
During course of investigation, Kumar said it was learnt that Vilayat was in contact with one Gazi, an active militant and trained him locally a month before. “Vilayat performed the recce of Dalgate Durganag area along with other militant associates 10 days prior to attack,” he said.
“On the day of attack the trio on the bike of Suhail Ahmed Mir son of Fateh Mohd Mir resident of Dangerpora, at around 7:15 reached Krishna Dhaba and fired indiscriminately on the staff, injuring critically Aakash Mehra S/O Ramesh Kumar Mehra,” he said.
“The trio during interrogation have confessed their involvement in the crime. A case, FIR No 11/2021 PS Rammunsibagh has already been registered in this regard under relevant sections of law and further investigation is on,” IGP said.
The Kashmir police chief said that “militant organisations have adopted new strategies by recruiting local youths who are in their teens and allowing them to mix up with the family, friends and live normally and training them for a day or so.” “They are given tasks by their masters and in case they get caught a public opinion is generated that they were not active militants and joined only on the day of the incident,” he added.
The arrest of the trio and recovery of pistol and grenade along with other incriminating material including bike used within hours of attack is a big success for Jammu and Kashmir police, he said.