DELHI CAR BLAST PROBE: SIA arrests Batamaloo resident
Bhat is an AC technician, linked to recovery of AK-47 from doctor’s locker in GMC Anantnag, reveals a report.
STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 22 (STC): The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday arrested a resident of Diyarwani, Batamaloo in connection with the Red Fort blast in New Delhi, reports quoting officials said.
The individual, identified as Tufail Niyaz Bhat, was detained by the SIA as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, the reports reveal.
According to officials, Tufail was arrested after crucial leads emerged linking him to the November 10 Red Fort blast.
A Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) report quoting officials states that Tufail Niyaz Bhat, who was working as an AC technician at the Industrial Estate in Pulwama, was detained from Pulwama and formally arrested after sustained questioning.
“Bhat is suspected to be the possible provider of an AK-47 rifle that was recovered earlier from a locker assigned to Dr Adeel Ahmad at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag. Dr Adeel is already in the custody of the NIA as a primary accused in the case,” the KDC report quoting sources familiar with the investigation said.
“During investigation, it has surfaced that the suicide bomber of the Red Fort blast, Dr Umar Farooq, while pursuing his MBBS studies at GMC Srinagar, was residing as a tenant in Batamaloo in the same vicinity where Niyaz resides. It is believed that the proximity may have led to their contact, and it is suspected that Niyaz may have handed the weapon to Dr Umar, who then allegedly transferred it to Dr Adeel, where it was later recovered during earlier raids,” the sources said.
They said that investigations have further revealed that Niyaz is believed to have procured the weapon from a Pakistani handler, who remains untraceable. A manhunt is ongoing to establish the handler’s identity and movement trail.
Meanwhile, in the widening probe, the SIA has also detained Dr Muneeb Ul Islam, an MBBS and MD, a resident of Padder, Shopian, currently serving as a Senior Resident Doctor at the Bone and Joint Hospital in Srinagar.
Dr Muneeb is reported to have been a close friend of suicide bomber Dr Umar Farooq, and sources say extensive questioning regarding possible links and knowledge is underway.
Moreover, a Non-Bailable Warrant has been issued against Dr Muzzaffar Ahmad, the brother of accused Dr Adeel. The warrant was executed at his residence in Qazigund, South Kashmir. Records accessed by investigative teams indicate that Dr Muzzaffar last boarded a flight to Dubai, and intelligence inputs suggest he may have subsequently travelled to Afghanistan, where he is believed to be currently located.
The officials said that investigations are ongoing and further arrests or summonses cannot be ruled out.
(Straight Talk Communications I Inputs from KDC)
