SRINAGAR: The family of the Zahoor Ahmad Rather arrested from Jammu last weekend today held a protest at the press colony Srinagar demanding to know the whereabouts of their kin.
Speaking to the media family said the Zahoor is innocent and has been involved in no militant activity ever since he surrendered in 2006. “ He earl’s his living by selling dry fruits in winters in Jammu for the last few years. He has two little kids and his wife has been unwell since the police took him.
We have no means to fight the system. We had to sell our sheep to bear the expenses of coming to the city today. He is innocent and has done no such thing that warrants his arrest.” Said zahoor’s sister.
“We have contacted every authority but nobody is telling us where he is. We appeal to the authorities to let us meet him and look into his case as he has been arrested for no reason” she said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Saturday had said that a police team from Anantnag district travelled to Samba and caught the Lashkar (TRF) militant alive. “The arrested militant had killed three BJP workers and a police man last year in Kulgam district and was wanted,” he said. He said that the militant was being brought to Kashmir for further investigations.
Terming TRF chief Rather’s arrest as another “major achievement”, Singh said he is a Pakistan-trained terrorist and is known by aliases “Sahil” and “Khalid” among militants.
“He was also an active overground worker before crossing into Pakistan in 2002, where he underwent arms training and returned with five foreign terrorists through Rajouri route,” DGP Singh said.
“He, however, had surrendered in 2006 and remained inactive before resuming his activities in 2019,” the police chief said, adding his handlers in Pakistan know his potential and that is why made him the TRF’s chief.
The DGP said he had set up a vast network in Kashmir and so far eight members of the group have been identified at his disclosure and some have also been arrested whose interrogation is on in Kashmir.
Being a militant who had surrendered earlier helped Rather escape security agencies’ suspicion, said the DGP, adding that the TRF chief was directly involved in the killing of three BJP workers in Kulgam and a policeman in Kokernag areas of south Kashmir last year.
Rather is being questioned at present and his interrogation is likely to reveal new things, the DGP said. The Union Territory’s police chief also complimented his men for three major successful operations which led to the arrest of two self-styled commanders and recovery of IED to avert a major tragedy besides attempts by Pakistan to revive Al-Badr group. (PTK)
