J&K SIA arrests 8 absconding terrorists after 30 years

Jammu, Aug 31 (IANS) The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of J&K Police with the assistance of the CID on Thursday arrested eight absconders in TADA cases after 30 years. 

An SIA statement said that it has arrested eight absconding terrorists and their associates who were involved in serious crimes of terrorism and disruptive activities under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) around three decades back in J&K’s Doda district. 

“These absconding terrorists had managed to escape from the clutches of law for decades by going underground and remaining untraced for sometime and then resurfaced to enjoy normal family life at their native or some distant places. 

“Some of these terrorist absconders even managed to get government jobs and contracts, while the others were engaged in private businesses and even working in the court.

“The apprehended terrorists will be produced before the TADA/ POTA court in Jammu in pursuance of warrants issued against the aforementioned absconder terrorists," the statement said.

It also said that the absconders were involved in kidnapping and threatening to kill Ghulam Mohd Wani, a resident of Doda, and kidnapping Tariq Hussain and Mohd Sadiq of Doda on the intervening night of April 23/24, 1993.

“Tariq Hussain was later killed while Mohd Sadiq seriously injured. The case pertained to instigating people by setting a false narrative during a prayer at the Jamia Masjid in Doda and other mosques of the region, so that atrocities could be committed on innocent people. 

“The SIA is investigating as to how these terrorists managed to escape from the clutches of law and live a normal life at their native places without being traced for so long , along with other aspects of a larger criminal conspiracy," the statement added.