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| People handover extortionist to police | | | Srinagar, October 16: In the first incident of its unique kind during last 17 years armed uprising in Jammu and Kashmir State, People on Monday overpowered and handed over an extortionist to police in the outskirts of Shopian. Talking to KNS one Gh Mohi-ud-Din Dar, Son-in-law of Ali Mohd Bhat R/O Sigoo Hindhama Zeinpora Shopian said three masked gunmen including an activist of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit Raees Ahmed Malik alias Major S/O Gh Mohd R/O Giglora Pinjora Shopian barged into his house late in the evening on October 14 and demand him the huge sum of Rs2.5 lakhs on gun point.
The militant, according to Gh Mohi-ud-Din, asked him to allow his other accomplices to board his truck for shifting arms and ammunition to some distance and threatened to cut down his apple orchard, if he failed to oblige. As he refused to provide them the vehicle and cash, the gun men asked him to handover his son to join militant's ranks following which Gh Mohi-ud-Din went to mask to offer prayers and sought time for consulting his son over the issue. However Gh Mohi-ud-din agreed to pay the gun men the amount they demanded and asked them to come again the next day.
The militant Raees Ahmed, according to Gulzar Ahmed, Son of Gh Mohi-ud-Din, came to his house unmasked the next day, while as his two others accomplices waited at a short distance from Gulzar Ahmed's house. Raees Ahmed, according to Gulzar, identified himself as an activist of Al-Bader militant outfit and demanded money. However the inmates refused to oblige the militant with the argument that Mujahideen don't demand money, but pledged to oblige him, if he divulges the name of his father. The militant had a heated exchange of words with the inmates and he had a scuffle with them in the end during which people came out of their houses in panic and chaos and confusion gripped the whole population.
Eye witness told KNS that people beat Raees Ahmed black and blue and tied him with ropes following which Police Station Shopian was informed about the incident at around 8.45 P.M late in the evening. However the other two accomplices of Raees Ahmed managed to flee. Talking to KNS SHO Shopian Shafeeq Ahmed said though the area falls under the jurisdiction of P/S Zeinpora, but keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter he after consulting concerned SDPO rushed a police party to the area and Raees was taken into police custody at around 9.00 P.M in the evening. SHO claimed that Raees is a militant of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit and was active in the area for past three years.
Claiming the involvement of Raees Ahmed in several killings and so many cases of loot and plunder, SHO said the militant was carrying a cash award of Rs2.5 lakhs on his head. Saying that Raees Ahmed was involved in an attack that was carried out on a defeated Congress contestant Mohd Shafi Banday on Keegam-Shopian road on October 11, 2005 and resulted in killing of police driver Mohd Iqbal and constable Bashir Ahmed sustained injuries. A case under FIR No: 371/05 is already registered in this connection.
It has been learnt that people have also handed over a statement of Raees recorded by them on mobile phone which was recorded at the time, when people overpowered him. Meanwhile police on the identification of Raees raided a house in Pinjoora area and recovered one AK 47 rifle, 2 magazines, 50 rounds of bullets, one grenade, one pouch and a tape recorder. Talking to KNS SP Pulwama Imtiyaz Ahmed said people have expressed their full faith in police by handing over a militant to it for the first time during last 17 years of armed uprising in the state.
Announcing that cash award of Rs 2.5 lakhs which the militant carried on his head will be given to people, Raees Ahmed was presented before media persons but he was not allowed to have any kind of interaction with them. Meanwhile Hizb-ul-Mujahideen spokesman Junaid-ul-Islam while disowning Raees Ahmed told KNS over phone that he was involved in criminal activities earlier on also following which he was expelled from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and a hit warrant was issued to him two months back. He, according to spokesman, was absconding and if people would not hand over him to police, Hizb would kill him. Appreciating the people for this act of bravery, the spokesman said the acts of Raees Ahmed were unbecoming of a Mujahid and proved him a detractor.
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