NIA to take up civilian killing case if MHA orders so, say officials
Srinagar, Oct 12 : Jammu and Kashmir police Tuesday said that two out of the four cases of selected killings in Kashmir by killing two militants who were involved in the act.
A senior police official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), in an encounter at Hajin in northern district of Bandipora, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF) Imtiyaz Ahmed was killed. “He was involved in the killing of sumo driver Muhammad Shafi alias Sonu. This way with the elimination of Imtiyaz, the first case of civilian killings stands solved,” he told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Similarly, the official said on Tuesday, one of the three militants killed in Shopian encounter, identified as Mukhtar Shah, who was involved in the killing of a non-local vendor at Lal Bazar area of Srinagar. The slain vendor was identified as Virender Paswan of Bihar. “With the killing of Mukhtar Shah, the second case of targeted killings stands solved,” he said.
A top police officer said that the other two cases would also be solved as the security forces have stepped up human and technical intelligence. “The movement of suspects is being tracked and we are hopeful that rest of the two cases would also be resolved soon,” he said, wishing not to be quoted.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to “bust the militant networks in Kashmir.” “This particular case is about those involved in anti-national activities and harbouring militants by providing them logistics etc,” said official sources privy to the development.
They said if the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decided, the NIA would take over the case of selected killings in Kashmir. “It depends as to how deep the conspiracy is and who are the conspirators etc,” the sources said.
It is pertinent to mention that between October to October 5, seven civilians including a famous chemist, a non-local vendor, two teachers including a female member of Sikh community were killed. The spate of killing’s triggered a fresh wave of panic in the Valley forcing Security agencies to put in extra efforts to bust the modules involved in the selected killings—(KNO)
