Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative arrested for killing J-K police officer

Delhi Police arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative, who was earlier associated with the Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday for allegedly killing a sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police, officials said.

The man, identified as Ansar Ul Haqe, a resident of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill the sub-inspector with his girlfriend after finding out that she knew the policeman, they added.

On October 28, the bullet-ridden body of 30-year-old Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir was found in Chewa Kalan area of Pulwama district, Pramod Singh Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said.

The victim, Mir, who was working with the CID department, was returning home in his car when he was allegedly abducted by terrorists and killed, he said.

Mir had been warned about a possible attack on him and even his superiors had told the officer against venturing into his village.

The Delhi Police learnt about the possible hideouts of the accused. However, the accused kept changing his hideouts from Mumbai to Bengaluru and other nearby areas, he added.

On November 20, police received information that Haqe would come to Delhi Airport from Bengaluru and will head to Srinagar. Accordingly, a trap was laid at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) and in the early morning on Tuesday, the accused was nabbed at T3 terminal of IGI Airport, the senior police officer said.

Haqe was a former worker of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, which he had joined in 2014, police said.

He was motivated by a local terrorist, Wajid, also a resident of Pulwama. Through him, Haqe came in contact with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and was in regular contact with other Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist, the officer added.

Haqe used to pass information to the terrorists about the movements of security forces and local police officers, he said.