RSS leader's murder case cracked, 3 Hizb men held

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday claimed that it together with other security forces has cracked the killing of a local BJP leader and his brother and an RSS activist in eastern town of Kishtwar after arresting three alleged members of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit and their overground aide.

“The J&K police, the CRPF, Army and NIA have jointly cracked the killings and weapon snatching in Kishtwar by arresting three terrorists involved into these cases,” Mukesh Singh, inspector general of police (Jammu range) told reporters in Jammu. Army’s Brig. Vikram Rana, DIG (DKR Range) Bhim Send Tuti and SSP Kishtwar Harmeet Singh were also present at the press conference.

In November last year, 52-year-old BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet were shot from point blank range by unknown assailants along Kishtwar’s Tapal Gali, resulting into the former’s instant death and critical injuries to the latter. The BJP leader’s brother had succumbed soon after being admitted to the district hospital. The brother duo was returning home from a stationery store the BJP leader’s brother Ajeet was running in a market of Kishtwar.

In April this year, a local leader of the RSS Chandrakant Singh and his personal security officer Rajendra Kumar were killed on the spot when gunmen attacked them inside Kishtwar’s district hospital. The assailants had also decamped with the service rifle of the slain policeman.

IGP Singh said that conspiracy to target them was initially hatched in 2016-17 by Muhammad Amin alias Jehangir Saroori, Osama, Nissar Ahmed Sheikh and others owing allegiance to the Hizb to revive militancy in the mountainous Doda-Kishtwar belt.

He said that three of those involved in these incidents, including Nisar Sheikh, Nishad Ahmed and Azad Hussain and also their overground worker Rustom, have been taken into custody whereas the manhunt for the other accused in underway.