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| SI Sonu's bail application to be heard today; all witnesses turn hostile, blame IO | | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, July 21: The bail application of SI Shiv Kumar Sharma alias Sonu, known as encounter specialist, would be heard tomorrow in the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Bhaderwah.
Sonu is presently lodged in Jammu jail along with his Personal Security Officer (PSO) for the last over one year for their alleged links with five militants arrested by the Doda police on 23-05-2013 for their involvement in grenade attack on Police Station Thatri, besides making an attempt to revive militancy in the area.
The arrest of Sonu along with his PSO Head Constable Mohammad Ayoob had come in wake of the statement given by the arrested militant Abdul Rashid (27) alias Abdullah son of Mohammad Iqbal Hargah resident of Tanta who during sustain questioning with Doda police put the blame on the encounter specialist for giving him the weapon seized by the Doda police from his possession for revival of militancy in the area. Both the arrested cops were later booked by the police under FIR No: 33/2013 U/S 307, ¾ ESA, 7/27 Arms act registered at Police Station Thatri of Doda District in connection with the lobbing of hand grenade at concerned police station during the intervening night of 27/28 April 2013. After arresting Sonu and his PSO, Doda police produced the challan in the court of District Principal and Sessions Judge Bhaderwah in July last year. During the course of trial, nearly 40 witnesses turned hostile including the approver police personal, beside the militants arrested by the Doda police and few locals from Kashmir. All the witnesses who turned hostile have put the blame on Investigation Officer Javed Ahmed and senior officers for allegedly framing the encounter specialist and his Personal security Officer in "false" case. On the bases of the statements of the eyewitnesses, counsels for the accused moved the bail application of the cop and others in the court of Principal District and Session Judge Bhaderwah and final hearing on the bail plea has been fixed for tomorrow.
The family members of the encounter specialist cop while talking to "Early Times" hoped that he would get bail.
They said the statements recorded by the eyewitnesses vindicate the stand of the family members that the top cop, who while heading a team of Special Striking Reserve in Doda and Kishtwar Districts had taken part in over 100 encounters in last over one and half decade and killed nearly 200 militants including top commanders of LeT, HM and HUJI, has allegedly been framed wrongly in the case.
He was awarded Police President Medal for Gallantry in 2011. He had joined police force as Assistant Sub Inspector in 1999 and subsequently promoted as Sub Inspector in 2005. While fighting the militants, Sonu received bullet in his left leg in the year 2002 and also in his left eye in the year 2007. He has also been awarded Police President Medal in the year 2008, Sher-e-Kashmir police medal (Twice), DG Medal, Parahakrama Padakh, and GOC in Command medal (Twice). He was at the top list of the Pakistani based militant outfits which had even celebrated his arrest by the police and even Pak based militant Abu Akasha also planted an IED in Bhaderwah few years back to eliminate him while he was traveling along with his family, but he and his family had a narrow escape as the militant failed to trigger the blast on time.
The PSO of the arrested cop was active in counter insurgency operations for the last over 10 years.
Abdullah, on whose statement Doda police nails the top cop remain an active militant for few years before he surrender in the year 2008 along with a Pika Gun and other arms and ammunition before the arrested cop. The sources said that the arrested militant was in close touch with another Doda based militant Khubar who happen to be his cousin brother and Pakistani Commander Abu Akasha, both presently camping in Pakistan. The sources said that the mentors sitting across the border issued the direction to Abdullah to eliminate him or to trap him into his own web. The anger among the top militant commanders sitting across the border can be judged from the fact that the militants prepared the dummy of the cop in past and hit it regularly with knives & other weaponry to cool down their anger.
The sources said that in order to gain the sympathies of arrested cop, Abdullah approacheed him with the request to accommodate him as a source. The sources added that in order to prove his loyalty and prove his point, Abdullah gave some details about the LeT groups operating in Rajouri and Poonch belt to the arrested cop and wanted a safe passage for them in Doda-Kishtwar and assured him that he will support the police in neutralizing them. The sources added that the arrested militant was in constant touch with Lashker group and was in process of shifting them to Doda and Kishtwar District for reviewing militancy before Doda police intercepted them.
It is pertinent to mention that Doda Police on 23-05-2013 arrested five persons namely Abdul Rashid (27 yrs) code Abdullah, Akhter Hussain (24 yrs) S/o Showket Ali Magray R/o Tanta, Mohammad Rafi (20 yrs) S/o Mohammad Ibrahim R/o Patnazi Bhunzwah, Altaf Hussain (20yrs) S/o Nazir Ahmed R/o Joura Gandoh A/P Thathri and Mohammad Yaqoob (26 yrs) S/o Fateh Mohammad Gujjar R/o Bathree Gandoh and recovered one AK-56 rifle, three Magazines of AK-56, 143 rounds of AK-56 rifle, one Chinese Pistol, one Magazine of Chinese Pistol, five rounds of Chinese Pistol, two Chinese Grenades, one Pouch and two Walkie Talkie wireless sets (Motorola) on their disclosures followed by the arrest of the Sonu and his PSO on 4-06-2013. |
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