J&K: 9 face prosecution case for waving ISIS flag

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered prosecution of nine youth from Srinagar for their allegedly waving Daesh or ISIS flag during protests outside the city’s Grand Mosque in 2014.

The official sources said that the evidence gathered during the police investigating included the footage and photographs of the accused waving and hoisting the ISIS flag within the compound of the historic place of worship on October 17, 2014. The Nowhatta police station in Srinagar had registered a case under FIR number 92/2014 under the Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following the incident.

During the investigations, nine youth Sajad Ahmed Gilkar, Auqib Ahmed Mir, Yasir Maqbool Mir, Obaid Ali Bhat, Arshad Ahmed Sofi, Hashim Farooq Mir, Arshad Ahmed Wani, Abrar Farooq Wani and Javid Ahmed Sofi were found involved in the act. All of them are residents of Srinagar. One of them Sajad Gilkar was, however, killed by the security forces in an encounter earlier this year, the sources said.

“The Investigating Officer has established a prima-facie case against the accused persons under section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 apart from other offences,” an SRO issued by Jammu and Kashmir’s Home Secretary says. Meanwhile, two more militants were killed in a firefight in southern Kulgam on Sunday night.

A statement issued by the police here said that  a joint team of J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG), the Army’s 1 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF’s 18th Battalion launched a cordon-and-search operations in Kulgam’s Khudwani area following specific information about the presence of militants of the Hizb in the area.

It said, “The terrorists were asked to surrender. One of them later identified as Arif Ahmed Sofi responded and surrendered before the police. The other two terrorists tried to escape from the spot while firing indiscriminately at the security forces. The fire was retaliated and during the ensuing encounter both the terrorists were neutralized”.

It identified the slain men as Dawood Ahmed Allaie and Sayar Ahmed, both local Kashmiris. The police said one AK 47 rifle with two magazines and 63 roundsof live ammunition, one INSAS rifle with one magazine and 60 rounds, one pistol and two pouches were found on them.

“Both the slain terrorists were involved in unlawful and anti-national activities including the killing of a Sarpanch in village Hawoora and weapon snatching from guard post at Samnoo (Kulgam”, the police said.