Six months after Dy. SP Devender Singh, was caught while travelling in a car with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has revealed that the senior police officer was “being groomed by Pakistani officials for obtaining sensitive information.”
Framed after examining 3,017 oral and documentary evidences, the 3,064-page chargesheet was filed in a Jammu court on Monday. The NIA chargesheet (RC-01/2020/NIA/JMU) was filed against the six men accused of various illegal activities on Monday. They are identified as: Devender Singh (Dy. SP, J&K Police), Irfan Shafi Mir @ Advocate, Syed Naveed Mushtaq @ Naveed Babu (Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist), Rafi Ahmad Rather (HM terrorist), Tanveer Ahmad Wani (ex-LoC trader) and Syed Irfan Ahmad (brother of Naveed Babu). They have been charged under sections 120B, 121, 121A & 122 of the IPC; sections 17, 18, 18B, 19, 20, 23, 38, 39 & 40 of the UA (P) Act 1967, and 25 (1)(a) & 35 of Arms Act, section 4 & 5 of Explosive Substances Act in NIA Special Court at Jammu.
January 11: Singh intercepted and arrested while travelling with alleged terrorists in a car loaded with weapons
According to information released by the NIA the initial case was registered at Qazigund, in the Kulgam district of Jammu & Kashmir on January 11, following the arrest of serving Dy. SP of J&K Police Devender Singh along with men alleged to be Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists. The others were identified as Syed Naveed Mushtaq, Rafi Ahmad Rather, and Irfan Shafi Mir. They were arrested when traveling out of Srinagar towards Jammu in the i20 car owned and driven by Irfan Shafi Mir. Police also recovered arms and ammunition including one AK-47 Rifle, three Pistols and a cache of ammunition and explosives.
January 17: NIA takes over the investigations
The case was re-registered as: RC- 01/2020/NIA/JMU. According to the investigative agency, the four accused were interrogated and searches were conducted at 15 places in Kashmir Valley, and in Jammu.
January 23- April 29: Three more accused arrested
The first to be arrested on January 23, was identified as Syed Irfan Ahmad (younger brother of accused Syed Naveed Mushtaq). On February 10, Tanveer Ahmad Wani was arrested and Tariq Ahmad Mir was arrested on April 29. They were all accused of being involved in the “conspiracy to extend support to the banned terrorist organization Hizb-ul-Mujahideen” they were accused by NIA, of “raising and transferring funds to the HM militants, harbouring them and supplying them arms, ammunition & explosives to carry out subversive activities.”
Revelations of Investigation:
Waging “War against the Union of India”
The NIA has stated that their investigations have revealed that the accused were part of a “deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Pakistani State Agencies to commit violent acts and to wage war against the Union of India.”
Supporting Hizb-ul-Mujahideen from Pakistan
The NIA has stated, “Pakistan-based leadership of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) identified as Sayeed Salahudeen, Amir Khan (deputy chief), Khursheed Alam (operational head), Nazar Mehmood (financial head) and others along with Pakistani establishment is extending support to the cadre and commanders of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen based in Jammu & Kashmir.” According to NIA its investigations have revealed that the accused Irfan Shafi Mir met Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leadership in Pakistan and “also met Umar Cheema, Ahshan Chaudhary, Sohail Abbas and others of ISI of Pakistan and he was tasked to identify and activate the new hawala channels for transfer of money for sustaining terrorist activities in Kashmir valley.”
Devender Singh was in touch with Pakistan High Commission officials
The NIA stated that their investigation also revealed that the accused were “obtaining weapons and ammunition from across the border with the help of arms smugglers and accused Devender Singh. These weapons were later used for terrorist activities.”
The agency added that its investigation also revealed that Devender Singh was also in touch with “certain officials of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi through secure social media platforms.” According to the NIA, Singh “was being groomed by Pakistani officials for obtaining sensitive information.” They added that the other accused, ex-police Constable Naveed Babu had deserted the police force “along with certain weapons and was responsible for various killings, including incidents of terror in which labourers and truck drivers were killed after the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K.” According to the NIA, Naveed Babu was involved in recruiting “gullible Muslims youths to join cadre of Hizb-ul- Mujahideen” and was also “receiving funds from LoC traders. It said accused Tanveer Ahmad Wani was an ex-president of LoC traders Association, and was allegedly providing the funds “with the help of other traders based in PoK.”
The NIA has stated that its investigation also revealed that “certain officials of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were in constant touch with Irfan Shafi Mir”. It states that the accused was funded to organise “seminars in J&K to mobilize the masses against Government of India.” The NIA states that Irfan Shafi Mir also got “instructions and money from Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi” and “also facilitated the visa applications for number of Kashmiris for their visit to Pakistan.”
Devender Singh gave shelter, weapons to HM Commander in February 2019 at Jammu
NIA further revealed, “In Feb, 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 @ Advocate and Syed Irfan Ahmad, arranged safe shelter for him and his associate in Jammu.” It stated that Devender Singh “used his own vehicle for the movement of HM terrorists and also assured them help in procuring weapons.”
The NIA chargesheet has also put the focus on the Pakistan establishment and stated, “Investigation has further brought on record that the Pakistani establishment has been devising all possible ways and means to fund, arm and sustain the terrorist activities of the banned terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen.” Devender Singh was suspended from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police after his arrest.
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