Kashmir

NIA charge sheets four persons including Pak-based militant in Srinagar civilian killings

SRINAGAR — The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday chargesheeted four persons, including a Pak-based militant, for the killing of two non-local civilians by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF), in Kashmir in February this year.

The NIA said that the accused, Adil Manzoor Langoo, Ahran Rasool Dar @ Tota, Dawood, and their Pakistan-based handler Jahangeer @ Peer Sahab, have been chargesheeted under various sections of IPC and UA (P) Act. The NIA special court, Jammu, has already issued an open ended non-bailable warrant against absconding accused Jahangir@ Peer Sab.

According to NIA spokesperson, four accused were involved in the brutal killing of two civilians on the evening of 7th February 2024 at Karfali Mohalla, Shala Kadal, Srinagar. NIA took over the case from the in June this year and re-registered it as RC-01/2024/NIA/JMU.

NIA investigations revealed that Adil Manzoor Langoo, who had joined LeT in 2023, had been motivated by Pakistani handlers to boost the militant outfit’s activities in Srinagar, Kashmir. He had also been involved in previous militant attacks in the Kashmir Valley. He, along with his close associates Ahran Rasool Dar and Dawood, was working under the directions of Jahangeer, who had motivated them to unleash jehad in Sringar area to spread fear and terror among the non-locals with an intention to wage war against the Government of India, he said.

The trio had conspired with their handler Jahangir @ Peer Sahab to kill the innocents at Shala Kadal, Srinagar. On the directions of Jehangir, Adil and Ahran had received the arms and ammunition which were used subsequently by Adil to commit the crime. Dawood had helped Adil destroy the evidence of the crime, he said.

NIA has been cracking down on militant organisations active in Kashmir. LeT, the largest militant group in the region, has been working through various offshoots to carry out its operations after it was banned by the Government of India. LeT/TRF has been luring unemployed youth into militant activities by using the social media extensively to propagate its dangerous agenda and promote its activities, he said.

Further investigations are continuing in the case, reads the statement.