Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
kishtwar, Nov 12: In a major breakthrough in the killing of BJP State Secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar, the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the case has arrested a contractor who allegedly transported the militants involved in the duo killings on November 1 to Kishtwar town.
The contractor engaged in construction of Kishtwar-Bandarkoot-Palmar-Dachhan road "transported the militants in a vehicle" from Patimhala area, some 55 km from Kishtwar, sources told Early Times.
The sources said that the contractor who allegedly ferried the two Lashker militants, Sajjad Khanday, a resident of Bamno in Pulwama, and Osama Javed, of Dachhan, has in the past worked as an OGW-cum-guide for several top rank Hizbul Mujahideen militants.
The sources said the contractor was detained earlier, but by using his influence he managed his release after preliminary questioning. He was detained again only after intelligence agencies sounded an alert for over his release. However, the sources close to the ongoing investigation told the Early Times that he was never given a clean chit and was under radar of security agencies.
The sources said that after reaching Kishtwar, the militants took shelter in the house of Nazir Ahmed, uncle of an LeT militant, in Shakti Nagar area of Kishtwar town where a CAPD employee Parvaiz Ahmed, presently in police detention for last 10 days, noticed them. But the uncle of the accused militant Osama Javed took an oath from him not to disclose the things to anyone.
Fearing for his life, Parvaiz didn't disclose the militant's presence in the house to anyone till the incident took place and he was picked up by the police.
The sources said that Parvaiz narrated the whole story to the police who picked up the uncle of LeT militant, but keeping in view his age and health, he was released.
The sources said that name of another person Mohammad Abbas had also surfaced along with the name of another former CAPD employee who had provided logistical support to the militants. Besides, an RDD employee from Dachhan area was also under scanner.
The sources said that LeT militants Sajjad Khanday and Osama Javed are the key to the killings of Parihar brothers.
The intelligence sources believes that the militants were provided weapon by some local accomplice who helped them to carry out the attack on Parihar brothers. There is the possibility of involvement of 5-6 people in execution of the killings of Parihar brothers, said the sources.
The sources said that the prime motto of the killing of Parihar brothers was to spread reign of terror, to derail the ongoing Panchayat elections, but the political angle behind the killings cannot be ruled out.
The sources said that majority of the accused involved in the terror plot including the two militants have been identified and will be arrested shortly, but the major focus of the case is to arrest the absconder militants and to recover the weapons used in the crime.
It is pertinent to mention that credible leads collected by the investigating agencies has pointed out the finger towards top rank Lashker Commander Sajjad Khanday resident of Bamno, Pulwama in South Kashmir who manage to hold in Kishtwar with his associate Osama Javed for few days till they escaped on November 5, four days after killing of Parihar brothers. Sajjad Khanday who was expert in Stand Up fire, recruitment and IED making was last tracked around Chicha top towards Palmar area some 40 KM from Kishtwar towards Dachhan and is presently hiding in Marwah/Dachhan axis or there is also a possibility that they might have crossed over to South Kashmir.
However 150 meter stretch from Veterinary Hospital Kishtwar to the scene of crime continues to be the mystery as both Parihar brothers were followed by the assailant who were waiting for them before they killed both of them.
The gunmen involved in killing the Parihar brothers had been informed about their movement through a Whatsapp call so that they could not be trapped while the Municipality street light which was installed barely 20 meters away from the scene of crime and covers all the three by-lanes was put off so that the killers could take the advantage of the darkness.
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