THE J&K police claimed to have busted a gang of alleged stone-pelters, who fomented trouble in north Kashmir “with a perfect liaison between some government employees, separatists and militants in Sopore” this summer.
North Kashmir DIG Muneer Khan said the nexus was discovered after the arrest of an alleged stone-pelter, Firdous Ahmad Sheikh, from Sopore recently.
“During questioning he revealed the nexus between militants particularly Hizbul Mujahideen’s Qalimullah and the LeT’s Abdullah Uni, Hurriyat cadres, some government employees and the stone-pelters,” the officer told reporters in Sopore. He said the cops arrested several stone-pelters based on Sheikh’s revelations.
“The stone-pelters were also planning a fidayeen attack.” He said another stone pelter, Abdul Lateef Lone, from Kupwara told his interrogators that they were paid Rs 400 for pelting stones weekly.
“The Hurriyat cadre was raising the money locally and the maximum chunk of it came from the fruit growers and saw mill owners,” he said.
