05-21-2006, 11:33 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b> J&K Cong MLA, his brother helped finance, smuggle explosives: Army </b>
Muzamil Jaleel / Mir Ehsan
Posted online: Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 0000 hrs IST
SRINAGAR, ANANTNAG, May 20
A senior Congress legislator who was a minister in the former Mufti-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir and his brother have helped finance and smuggle into the Valley the biggest ever haul of explosives last year, according to a confidential report of the Armyâs Counter Intelligence Unit.
The report, obtained by The Sunday Express, names former Congress minister and current MLA from Dooru (Anantnag) Ghulam Ahmed Mir and his brother Iqbal Mir as being key to a well-knit militant ring that smuggled 48 quintals of explosives from New Delhiâs industrial explosive market.
This material, J&K Director General of Police Gopal Sharma had said, was used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and car bombs especially after the flow from across the Line of Control began to dry up.
This network was exposed after the 49 Rashtriya Rifles arrested Sajjad Ahmad Malik alias Bitta Malik on August 17 last year. A week later, the J&K police recovered 14 quintals of explosives from the premises of a transport company in Srinagar and two explosives dumps in warehouses in Anantnag.
Malik, a close aide of the Congress MLA, was interrogated by the Army along with the explosives âcourierâ Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Banihal in J&K and an employee of a transport company based in New Delhi.
The Armyâs report said Congress MLA Mir and his brother were both âOver Ground Workers (OGWs)â (Armyâs phrase for those who actively help militants). And the MLAâs âvehicle was used for transporting the explosives and persons.ââ Mirâs brother, the report said, is a ââclose associate of Bitta Malik and had provided finances for procuring explosivesââ.
Curiously, the Army handed over Malik to the Dooru police immediately after his arrest. In the intervening night of August 19 and 20, Malik escaped from police custody. The Armyâs report claims that Mir, then a junior Roads and Buildings Minister, âreportedly had influenced and helped Bitta to escape from police custody.â
Over the next few days, as the Army picked up other people from Bitta Malikâs gangâespecially Bashir Ahmadâand cracked the entire ring, Malik surrendered. Sources reveal that Congress legislator Mir (who was then a minister) used his influence to speed up Malikâs detention under Public Safety Act so that no other agency would interrogate him and thus avoid exposure of Mirâs connection with the militants. How crucial Malik was in the ring is evident in his interrogation statement to the J-K police. Based on his leads alone, 15 militants were arrested and arms and ammunition seized.
While the police report doesnât mention Mir or his brother, the Armyâs report couldnât be clearer: âDuring February, 2004, subject (main courier Bashir) was told by Bitta Malik that he is opening a factory to chemically treat dry fruits... in partnership with Iqbal brother of present Congress MLA GA Mir.ââ Bashir, the report said, also met Iqbal Mir in Jammu in March, 2005.
Express, G A Mir said:
On links with Bitta Malik: He belongs to my constituency, he voted for me. He was a surrendered militant who lived a normal life. There are dozens of people like him who are with all political parties, National Conference, PDP and Congess.
On Armyâs report that his vehicles were used to transport explosives: When Bitta Malik attended my rallies and meetings, not a single security agency warned me about his anti-national activities.
On Armyâs report that he helped Bitta escape from police custody. âAfter he (Malik) was arrested, my block president visited Dooru police station to ask about Malik only because he belonged to my constituency. Itâs not our fault that he escaped. The police allowed him to move around in the lawn at midnight. It was I who told his family that he must surrender. Within three days, he surrendered.â
muzamiljaleel@expressindia.com
http://www.sulekha.com/news/nhc.aspx?cid=450939<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Muzamil Jaleel / Mir Ehsan
Posted online: Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 0000 hrs IST
SRINAGAR, ANANTNAG, May 20
A senior Congress legislator who was a minister in the former Mufti-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir and his brother have helped finance and smuggle into the Valley the biggest ever haul of explosives last year, according to a confidential report of the Armyâs Counter Intelligence Unit.
The report, obtained by The Sunday Express, names former Congress minister and current MLA from Dooru (Anantnag) Ghulam Ahmed Mir and his brother Iqbal Mir as being key to a well-knit militant ring that smuggled 48 quintals of explosives from New Delhiâs industrial explosive market.
This material, J&K Director General of Police Gopal Sharma had said, was used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and car bombs especially after the flow from across the Line of Control began to dry up.
This network was exposed after the 49 Rashtriya Rifles arrested Sajjad Ahmad Malik alias Bitta Malik on August 17 last year. A week later, the J&K police recovered 14 quintals of explosives from the premises of a transport company in Srinagar and two explosives dumps in warehouses in Anantnag.
Malik, a close aide of the Congress MLA, was interrogated by the Army along with the explosives âcourierâ Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Banihal in J&K and an employee of a transport company based in New Delhi.
The Armyâs report said Congress MLA Mir and his brother were both âOver Ground Workers (OGWs)â (Armyâs phrase for those who actively help militants). And the MLAâs âvehicle was used for transporting the explosives and persons.ââ Mirâs brother, the report said, is a ââclose associate of Bitta Malik and had provided finances for procuring explosivesââ.
Curiously, the Army handed over Malik to the Dooru police immediately after his arrest. In the intervening night of August 19 and 20, Malik escaped from police custody. The Armyâs report claims that Mir, then a junior Roads and Buildings Minister, âreportedly had influenced and helped Bitta to escape from police custody.â
Over the next few days, as the Army picked up other people from Bitta Malikâs gangâespecially Bashir Ahmadâand cracked the entire ring, Malik surrendered. Sources reveal that Congress legislator Mir (who was then a minister) used his influence to speed up Malikâs detention under Public Safety Act so that no other agency would interrogate him and thus avoid exposure of Mirâs connection with the militants. How crucial Malik was in the ring is evident in his interrogation statement to the J-K police. Based on his leads alone, 15 militants were arrested and arms and ammunition seized.
While the police report doesnât mention Mir or his brother, the Armyâs report couldnât be clearer: âDuring February, 2004, subject (main courier Bashir) was told by Bitta Malik that he is opening a factory to chemically treat dry fruits... in partnership with Iqbal brother of present Congress MLA GA Mir.ââ Bashir, the report said, also met Iqbal Mir in Jammu in March, 2005.
Express, G A Mir said:
On links with Bitta Malik: He belongs to my constituency, he voted for me. He was a surrendered militant who lived a normal life. There are dozens of people like him who are with all political parties, National Conference, PDP and Congess.
On Armyâs report that his vehicles were used to transport explosives: When Bitta Malik attended my rallies and meetings, not a single security agency warned me about his anti-national activities.
On Armyâs report that he helped Bitta escape from police custody. âAfter he (Malik) was arrested, my block president visited Dooru police station to ask about Malik only because he belonged to my constituency. Itâs not our fault that he escaped. The police allowed him to move around in the lawn at midnight. It was I who told his family that he must surrender. Within three days, he surrendered.â
muzamiljaleel@expressindia.com
http://www.sulekha.com/news/nhc.aspx?cid=450939<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->