Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The National investigation agency (NIA) today filed a joint charge-sheet against the suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh and five others including Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Syed Naveed alias Naveed Babu, for their involvement in harbouring militancy in J&K.
A statement issued by the NIA here said that a detailed charge-sheet has been filed against DSP Singh, Hizbul Commander Naveed Babu, former trade union leader Tanveer Ahmed Ahmed Wani, Hizb militant Rafi Ahmed Rather and others. The premier investigation agency in its statement said that in total, charge-sheet has been filed against six accused involved in strengthening and recruiting militants in the Valley, besides availing money through illegal routes for militancy-related activities from Pakistan based outfits and agencies.
The NIA statement read that the case was initially registered at police station Qazigund, in Kulgam, J&K on January 11, 2020 after the arrest of two militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, identified as Syed Naveed Mushtaq, the then district Commander of HM for Shopian and Ganderbal and Rafi Ahmad Rather along with Singh and Irfan Shafi Mir alias Advocate.
“They were arrested at a Naka near Qazigund while they were going out of Srinagar towards Jammu in the I-20 car owned and driven by Irfan Shafi Mir alias Advocate,” the statement said.
It said during the search of the vehicle, one AK-47 Rifle, 3 pistols and a cache of ammunition and explosives were recovered. “All the four accused persons were arrested by J&K Police on the same day. NIA took over the investigation of the case on January 17 this year by re-registering the same at Police Station, NIA Jammu. During the course of investigation, the four accused persons were interrogated thoroughly and searches were conducted at 15 places in Kashmir Valley as well as in Jammu.”
The investigating agency said three more accused persons identified as Syed Irfan Ahmad, younger brother of Syed Naveed Mushtaq, Tanveer Ahmad Wani and Tariq Ahmad Mir were arrested in the case respectively for being part of the conspiracy to extend support to the banned militant organization Hizb-ul-Mujahideen by way of raising and transferring funds to the HM militants, harboring them and supplying them arms, ammunition & explosives to carry out subversive activities.
NIA said that the investigation has revealed that the accused were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the Pakistan-based militant organization Hizbul-Mujahideen and Pakistani agencies to commit violent acts and to “wage war against the Union of India”.
About the suspended DySP, the NIA said Singh was in touch with certain officials of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi through secure social media platforms. Investigation revealed that he was being groomed by Pakistani officials for obtaining sensitive information. “DySP Singh has revealed that militant commander Naveed Babu had deserted Police before joining militancy along with certain weapons and was responsible for various killings, including incidents of militancy in which labourers and truck drivers were killed after the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K.
“Naveed Babu had made efforts to recruit gullible Muslim youths to join cadre of HM, received funds from LoC traders and accused Tanveer Ahmad Wani, who was an Ex-President of LoC traders Association, was providing him funds with the help of other traders based in Pakistan administered Kashmir and were obtaining weapons and ammunition from across the border with the help of arms smugglers and Devender Singh while weapons were later used for militant activities,” the investigating agency said in its statement.
The statement also said that in February, 2019, in order to shield HM Commander Syed Naveed Mushtaq from the heightened surveillance of security agencies, accused Devender Singh, a serving Dy SP of J&K Police, along with Irfan Shafi Mir and Syed Irfan Ahmad, arranged safe shelter for him and his associate in Jammu. Devender Singh used his own vehicle for the movement of HM militants and also assured them help in procuring weapons.
The NIA said it has filed cases under various sections of the UA(P)Act 1967, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act in NIA Special Court at Jammu.
To recall, a Delhi court had granted bail to Davinder Singh early last month after the Delhi police failed to file a charge-sheet against him during the statutory period of 90 days in a conspiracy case.
-ARK
