Rajouri Police Solves Kotranka & Budhal blast Cases, two arrested

Mastermind a LeT Commander & news portal admin still absconding

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, June 28: District Rajouri police claimed to have cracked four suspicious explosions in Kotranka and Budhal areas in the Kotranka sub-district in Rajouri district and have arrested two persons reportedly involved in triggering these explosions.
The mastermind of these blasts was identified by these arrested persons as Talib Hussain and the police spokesman said that he was the LeT Commander in general area Rajouri and is absconding. The Police have also announced a suitable reward for sharing credible information leading to the arrest of Talib Hussain.
Talib Hussain s/o Haider Shah & son-in-law of a retd Tehsildar is an admin of a news portal and uses the media as an umbrella to hide his anti-national activities.
According to sources Talib and another arrested person, namely Mohd Shabir, a butcher by profession and running shop at Samote (Budhal), had contacts with valley-based terrorists.
Since September 2020, seven suspicious explosions –including twin blasts that rocked Kotranka town on March 26, one that occurred on April 19 in the vicinity of the Kotranka town in which a couple had a narrow escape & another triggered in Shahpur village in Kotranka on April 24 in which two persons were injured–have been reported from across the Rajouri district.
After four consecutive blasts in Kotranka area, the district Rajouri police was under constant pressure, sources said.
Working energetically and continuously, joint teams of Rajouri police and Samote-based 60 RR (14 Sector) under the overall supervision of Mohammad Aslam, SSP conducted multiple raids & search operations at various locations in Larkoti, Targain, Jaglanoo & Draaj areas in Rajouri district and the cyber experts after call details apprehended two suspects namely Mohd Shabir S/O Ghulam Hussain & Mohd Sadiq S/O Ibrahim both residents of Draaj in Budhal who were involved in these incidents.
Both the accused revealed the name of Talib Hussain, who turned out to be the mastermind of these suspicious explosions.
“These individuals, working on the directions of their PAK-based handlers received weapons, ammunition, explosives and later used these IED’s to trigger blasts” said a police spokesman.
“It has surfaced during a preliminary investigation that this group is headed by Talib Hussain Shah has collected three consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives from Lamberi-Kalakote area in the months of January, March and April, 2022” he added.
Police also claimed that Talib was the mastermind of all terrorist activities in Peer Panjal area in the last 2-3 years & has also motivated many youths, including Shabir & Sadiq, for carrying out terror activities in Rajouri.
It has also come to the fore that this group was also sheltering a few Kashmir- based active terrorists of LET outfit in general area Kandi-Budhal and were making efforts to revive militancy in Peer Panjal region.
On the disclosure of the arrested Shabir & Sadiq the police have also recovered some hidden explosive materials from a forest in Draaj area, including 5-IEDs; 5- remote controls; 19-batteries/cells; 1-cover/wrap; 1- cloth piece; and 10-fuses.
“This is a big achievement for J&K Police, Security Forces (SFs). The blasts had triggered panic in the area and these accused were also planning more such incidents to target SFs. The arrest of 2 associates of Talib is a big blow to the terror outfit LeT” police claimed.
Police said that the accused are also suspected to be involved in some more criminal, subversive activities for which they are being subjected to sustained interrogation.
“Arrest of Talib is very crucial in solving many militancy, criminal cases that have occurred during past few years in Peer Panjal area,” said the police spokesman..
In this regard the police have registered two cases under sections 120-B, 121-A, 122 IPC ¾ Explosives substances Act and 16/18 ULA (P) Act (FIR No. 25/2022); FIR No. 33/2022 under sections 120-B, 121-A, 122,307 IPC ¾ Explosives substances Act and 16/18 ULA(P) Act at PS Kandi.
The third case (Shahpur blast) has been registered in Budhal police station on 24/04/2022, under sections 120-B, 121-A, 122 IPC ¾ Explosives substances Act and 16/18 ULA(P) Act (FIR No. 31/2022).