State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday conducted raids across South Kashmir including houses of some active terrorists of Lashkar-i-Toiba in three districts.
Reports said that during its third round of searches and raids in a minority killing case SIA today conducted search and raids at ten places in three districts of South Kashmir namely Anantnag, Kulgam, and Shopian.
Raids were conducted at five places in Anantnag, four locations in Shopian, and one place at Kulgam.
These ten target premises also included the residential houses of three active terrorists of the LeT outfit namely Danish Hamid Thoker alias Khalid, and Ubaid Padder both from Chakoora Shopian, and Abrar Farooq Wani of Heff Shirmal.
SIA is investigating a case FIR No 14/2023 under relevant sections of law of Police Station, Litter, Pulwama which pertains to the killing of Sanjay Sharma, Bank ATM guard, during February 2023 at Achan, Pulwama.
Searches were conducted by ten special teams of SIA in pursuance of search warrants issued by the Special UAPA Court, Pulwama at ten different places to collect evidence relevant to the ongoing investigation necessary to unearth conspiracy of minority killings in south Kashmir.
While launching a specific hunt for substantial evidence SIA searched various structures and housekeeping records at target places and questioned many individuals for ascertaining circumstances and evidence in the case.
The raids were carried out by the SIA along with local police and CRPF at dozens of places in south Kashmir's Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag districts.
ATM guard Sanjay Sharma was killed by terrorists in February
In February this year, terrorists fired upon Sanjay Sharma, a bank ATM guard, while he was on way his way to a local market. Though he was shifted to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
The terror outfit Kashmir Freedom Fighters (KFF) had claimed responsibility for killing a Kashmiri Pandit in Achan village in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The terror outfit has further threatened Kashmiri Hindus with more attacks in days to come.
Today has been a third round of search raids since the lodgement of the criminal case for investigation. Prior to this two rounds of searches have already been conducted by the SIA.
The investigation agency has been narrowing down efforts to attain specifications and evidentiary data for the logical conclusion of the case for judicial determination.
SHO attached after Shopian terror attack, inquiry ordered
Taking serious note of the Shopian terror attack in which three migrant workers from Bihar were injured, Jammu and Kashmir Police attached Shopian Station House Officer (SHO) Ghulam Jeelani Bhat to Range Police Headquarter (RPHQ) Anantnag, pending an inquiry.
"In view of the incident that occurred on 13-7-2023 at about 2030 hours at Gagren Shopian, Inspector Gh Jeelani Bhat (AWP) (SHO P/S Shopian) PID No ARP-109258, is attached to RPHQ Anantnag pending inquiry," read an order issued by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police south Kashmir range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat.
"This order shall have immediate effect," the order added.
On July 13 evening, three migrant labourers identified as Anmol Kumar, Pintu Kumar Thakur, and Hera Lal Yadav, all residents of Supaul, Bihar were shot at and injured in a terrorist attack in the Shopian district.
This was the third attack on non-locals and minorities in Kashmir this year.
On February 26, a Kashmiri Pandit working as a security guard at a bank was shot dead by terrorists at Achen in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Over three months later on May 29, Deepu, a resident of Udhampur, who was working at a private circus mela at an amusement park, was shot dead near Jagland Mandi in Anantnag town.
