Retired army personnel-turned Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘terrorist’ arrested in Delhi

New Delhi, February 6

The Delhi Police have arrested an alleged member of Lashkar-e-Taiba module operating in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, who is a retired armyman, has been instrumental in receiving arms and ammunition from across the Line of Control (LoC), they said.

Riyaz Ahmad Rather, a resident of Kupwara district, was arrested on Sunday from New Delhi Railway Station, the police said.

Riyaz was havildar in Indian Army and retired last year, police said.

He, along with Khursheed Ahmad Rather and Ghulam Sarwar Rather, was involved in hatching a conspiracy in receiving arms and ammunition from across the LoC by the terrorist handlers, a senior police officer said.

The investigating agencies in Jammu and Kashmir received an information on Sunday that one Riyaz Ahmad Rather was wanted in the recent terror module case busted by them in which five people were arrested and incriminating material, including five AK rifles (short), five AK magazines and 16 short AK rounds, were recovered, he added.

These arms and ammunition were sent by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)-based LeT terrorist handlers Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh alias Shakoor, a resident of Gabra Karnah; and Qazi Mohammad Khushal, a resident of Dhanni Karnah, the officer said, adding that both were operating from across the border.

It was informed that Riyaz was absconding and would reach New Delhi Railway Station in the wee hours. A team was constituted and deployed at the railway station. They identified Riyaz and apprehended him when he was trying to flee from exit gate number 1 in the early hours, the officer said.

It was revealed that he, along with his friend Altaf, had boarded Mahakaushal Express from Jabalpur and reached Hazarat Nizamuddin railway station around 3 pm on Saturday, the police said.

They took an auto-rickshaw and reached New Delhi Railway Station. Riyaz was about to go to some other hideout, they said.

Riyaz is suspected of having received a consignment of arms and ammunition from Khursheed Ahmad Rather and Ghulam Sarwar Rather, both already arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Riyaz and his friend Altaf retired from the Indian Army on January 31, 2023, the police said.

One mobile phone and one SIM card have been recovered from Riyaz’s possession, they said.

Riyaz has been arrested under appropriate sections of law. The Jammu and Kashmir Police officials have been informed for further necessary action at their end, the police said.