Srinagar: Four over ground workers (OGWs), including a woman, were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar for allegedly providing logistic support to terrorists, according to officials. Police arrested the four OGWs from Hazratbal area of the city here on April 22, Wednesday night. They identified the OGWs as Zahoor Ahmad Mir, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, all residents of Hazratbal. The woman was identified as Shazia Mohammad, a resident of Hazratbal, the officials said.
They said a hand grenade, 15 AK-47 rounds, four mobile phones and some cash were seized from their possession. A case has been under against them under various sections of the UAPA and Arms Act, the officials added. Following these seizures, a case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act(UAPA) and Arms Act, and further investigation has been initiated. These arrests and subsequent questioning of the accused may give some leads against some terror groups.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency(NIA) has attached multiple properties to Fayaz Ahmad Magray, an OGW of the Jaish e Mohammad (JeM) group. He was directly involved in an attack carried out by the Jaish at a CRPF camp in Lethpora in 2017. These properties, acquired from proceeds of terror activities are located in Awantipora in the Pulwama district bordering Srinagar in the Union Territory(UT) of Jammu & Kashmir. These include six shops constructed over a parcel of land in Lethpora itself.
The action has been taken under Section 33(1) of UAPA purusant to orders from the NIA Special Court in Jammu. Incidentally, collating evidence leading to such attachments and seizures are very complicated and tortuous. However, these need to be done meticulously so that the OGWs are punished legally. Fayaz Ahmad Magray was arrested in February 2019, over seven years ago, for helping the terrorists carry out the attack. He was involved in facilitating the terrorists by conducting recoinssance of the intended target, arranging logistical help and providing shelter to them.
Magray’s trial under various provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code(RPC) and UAPA is continuing in the Jammu court. Similar action of attachment of properties has also been taken in another case wherein properties of two men named Doulat Ali Mughal and Ishaq Pala in Herman village of Shopian district. Pala is currently lodged in the Agra jail and is believed to be associated with Hizbul Majahideen (HM) as also Al Badra outfits.
Mughal is currently out of jail as he managed to get bail despite complicity in heinous crimes. He has been accused of facilitating some terrorists cross over into J&K from border district Kupwara. The properties of Pala and Mughal include houses, one of which is a double storey house belonging to the latter.
