Sarpanch from Anantnag still at large, Further investigation going on ; Police
WARIS FAYAZ
Sopore: Police on Friday said, that they have arrested three persons including a Bhartia Janta Party (BJP) panch impersonating as militants to extort money in north Kashmir’s Sopore of Baramulla district.
Police said, the trio including the panch were impersonating themselves as militants to extort money from one fruit merchant at Rohama area of Rafiabad.
However another accused who is said to be a Sarpanch from Hardpora Achabal of Anantnag is still at large, Police said.
Meanwhile Police in a statement issued to the Inside Kashmir said, On a complaint received by Mudasir ah Shiekh S/O Ghulam Mohd Shiekh R/O Panzipora Sopore, son in law of Ghulam Nabi lone s/o Abul Ahad Lone R/O Hamdani Colony Nadihal that during the intervening night 3rd and 4th of April 2021 that some unidentified persons barged into the in-laws’ house at Nadihal along with weapons and asked them to drop at South Kashmir and also took away two mobile phones and also threatened not to disclose to anyone.
In this regard FIR No 20 U/S 450, 506 IPC and 7/25 arms act was lodged at Police Station Panzalla, and investigation taken up. During investigation on technical evidences one panch namely Mehraj u Din Rather S/O Haji Mohd Akbar Rather R/O Minipora Krankshivan Sopore (BJP) was picked up for questioning and he confessed the commission of crime with three more persons namely Mohd Saleem Wani S/O Ghulam Rasool Wani R/O Hardpora Achabal Anantnag (Sarpanch), Bashir Ahmed Lone s/o Mohd Shahbhan Lone R/O Nadihal and Mohd Dilawar Khwaja S/O Sonnaulla Khwaja R/O Dachinpora Rohama.
Police spokesperson said, During course of investigation three persons called for questioning one Mohd Saleem from Anantnag who is also a sarpanch of BJP is still at large.
It transpired that Mehraj and Salim had planned to extort money from Lone Traders illegally. Mehraj had contacted Bashir, who further contacted Dilawar for obtaining some imitation weapons for committing the crime. These have also been recovered during investigation, and further efforts are underway to unearth more linkages, it added.
