Man, daughter held for Pulwama attack
Blurb: Provided shelter to attackers: NIA
Tribune News Service
Srinagar March 3
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the 2019 Pulwama suicide attack that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, today arrested a father-daughter duo for allegedly providing shelter to the attackers.
Those arrested have been identified as Tariq Shah, 50, and his daughter Insha Jan, 23, of Hakripora village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“In the continuing investigation of the Pulwama attack, NIA today arrested two more accused,” the NIA said in a statement.
At least 40 CRPF men were killed and several injured on February 14, 2019, after their convoy was struck by an IED-laden vehicle driven by Adil Ahmed Dar, a local suicide bomber, at Lethpora in Pulwama.
The NIA said Shah’s house was used by the terrorists to record fidayeen Dar’s video that was released by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) soon after the attack.
Jan facilitated the terrorists by providing food and other logistics during their 2-4 day stay in the house on more than 15 occasions during 2018-2019, NIA said.
The arrest came four days after the NIA claimed a major breakthrough in the case by arresting an over-ground worker (OGW) of JeM Shakir Bashir Magray, 22, of Hajibal-Kakpora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The NIA has accused Magrey of providing shelter and delivering arms and ammunition to the suicide bomber.
Shah, a lorry driver, has admitted that his house was used by militants for planning the attack.
“During initial interrogation, Shah said his house was used by Dar (fidayeen); Umar Farooq, a Pakistan terrorist and IED maker; Kamran, another Pakistan terrorist — both later killed by security forces — Sameer Ahmed Dar, a Jaish terrorist from Pulwama; and Muhammad Ismail, alias Ibrahim, alias Adnan, a Pakistan terrorist,” the NIA said.
“Initial interrogation has revealed that Jan was in constant touch with Farooq, the IED maker, and was in communication with him over telephone and other social media applications,” it said.
With this, the total number of arrests made in the case has gone up to three.
