Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: Three persons, including a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) panch, were arrested by police for allegedly attempting to extort money from a businessman by masquerading as militants in the apple township of Sopore in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.
Meanwhile, the fourth accused, a BJP sarpanch, was on the run even as efforts were being made to arrest the accused. A police spokesperson said that police received a complaint from one Mudasir Ahmad Shiekh that some unidentified persons barged into the residence of his father-in-law, Ghulam Nabi Lone, at Hamdani Colony in Sopore in the intervening night of April 3 and April 4, 2021. "The unidentified persons gave weapons to his inlaws and asked them to drop them in south Kashmir," he said.
He said the complaint further reads that they also took away two mobile phones and threatened them not to disclose this to anyone. "In this regard, a case FIR number 20/2021 under section 450, 506 IPC & 7/25 Arms Act was lodged at Police Station Panzlla and investigation was set into motion," he said.
He said during the course of investigation, police taking advantage of modern techniques zeroed in on one person identified as Mehraj ud Din Rather, a (BJP) Panch, resident of Minipora Krankshivan, Sopore. "The accused was called in for questioning," he added.
He said during questioning, the accused confessed his involvement in the commission of crime and involvement of three other persons, identified as Mohammad Saleem Wani, a Sarpanch, resident of Hardpora Achabal, Anantnag, Bashir Ahmad Lone, a resident of Nadihal and Muhammad Dilawar Khawaja, a resident of Dachinpora, Ruhama.
"Subsequently, two accused persons namely Bashir Ahmad Lone and Muhammad Dilawar Khawaja were arrested while Mohammad Saleem Wani is still at large," he said, adding efforts are on to nab the third accused.
"During further course of investigation, it came to fore that, accused Rather and Wani had conspired to extort money from Lone Traders," he said.
He said it was also disclosed that Meharaj-ud-Din contacted Bashir, and Bashir contacted Dilawar for obtaining some fake (toy) weapons for committing the crime. "The fake weapons have been also seized by Sopore Police and further investigation in the matter is going on," he added. |
