J&K: Men who snatched constable's AK-47 arrested, weapon recovered

Jammu: Four people, including the prime accused, who had attacked the personal security officer of a cleric in Jammu last week and fled with his AK-47 rifle have been arrested and the weapon recovered, police said on Wednesday.

Mohammad Amir, who belongs to a rich family in Shopian district of south Kashmir, surrendered before the police last night, a police official said.

His two associates, Masood and Shahid, and a man who helped him escape after the weapon loot have already been arrested.

"We have recovered the AK-47 rifle with 30 rounds of ammunition on the disclosure of third and main accused Amir, who was arrested from Shopian district. With his arrest, four people have been arrested in the case," Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, SDS Jamwal told reporters here.

Constable Mohammad Hanief, PSO of Anjuman Minhaj-e-Rasool chairman Maulana Dehlavi, was on his way to the district police lines on foot when three motorbike-borne youth intercepted him near the main Tawi bridge in Jammu on the night of March 25.

The trio then allegedly hit the constable on head with a stick, threw chilli powder in his eyes, snatched the AK-47 rifle and fled from the spot.

IG Jamwal, however, said till now there is no militancy angle to the incident but interrogation is on. "It maybe an act of criminality," he added.

"We have closed the case after completion of the probe in which all the three youth and one, who helped the main accused to escape, have been arrested and weapon along with ammunition recovered," IG Jamwal said.

The police officer said the weapon was hidden in river Tawi area under a pillar near the bridge before Amir managed to escape to Shopian, where he surrendered under pressure and was arrested before being brought to Jammu.

The Chief of Police in Jammu region said Amir had changed his apperance and had a hair cut to give police the slip to reach Shopian. A case is under probe whether anyone else has facilitated his escape to Shopian, he said.

On March 25, police received the information of the incident around 10 PM and rushed to spot where they found PSO Hanief in injured conditions. He was shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital, the IG said.

Subsequently, the police arrested one suspected Masrool Ahmed of Shopian from the spot with the help of a passerby, he said.

On interrogation, it was found that three persons were involved in the incident, he said, adding an alert was sounded and check point activated and photographs circulated timely.

The next morning another accused Shahid Najar of Shopian was arrested at Ban Toll Plaza during a police checking, Jamwal said. Soon Ghulam Rasoo Ahangar of Kishtwar, who helped the accused to escape, was also held, he said.

Amir, who belongs to a rich family, and was arrested in Shopian. On his disclosure, the AK-47 rifle along with 30 rounds have been recovered, the IG said.