NIA arrests key accused in Jalandhar grenade attack case

NEW DELHI: NIA on Wednesday arrested Pulwama resident Amir Nazir, a key accused in a case relating to September 2018 grenade attack on a police station in

Jalandhar

. Nazir is accused of having procured and facilitated delivery of the four grenades on directions of Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Musa, who heads Kashmir terror outfit and al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind (AGH).


Nazir, as per NIA, was the active link between two accused arrested earlier by Punjab police — Fazil Bashir Pinchoo s/o Bashir Ahmed Pinchoo r/o Ghatmohalla,

Awantipora

, Distt. Pulwama and Shahid Qayoom s/o Abdul Qayoom r/o Vill Kanjinag, Awantipora, Distt Pulwama — and Zakir Musa. Musa was a senior commander of Hizbul Mujahideen before deserting it and forming his own outfit, AGH.

On September 14, 2018, 4 grenades were hurled at the building of Maksudan police station in Jalandhar in which one police personnel was injured. Initially, the FIR was registered by Punjab police. The case was later taken up for investigation by NIA.

NIA investigation has revealed that the attack was handiwork of Ansar Ghazawat-ul-Hind. The two accused arrested earlier were pursuing their B.Tech (Civil) from St. Soldier Group of Colleges, Jalandhar. Another two accused who were involved in the attack — Rauf Ahmed Mir r/o Dadsara, Pulwama and

Umar

Ramzan r/o Dadsara, Pulwama —- were killed in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir on December 22, 2018.

Nazir has been taken on transit remand and will be produced before the Special NIA Court Mohali for obtaining his police custody for interrogation.

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