‘Slain duo were OGWs working for Lashkar militants; Zubair travelled to Pulwama, Anantnag, then Shopian to Pulwama and then to place of encounter, Police still investigating all possible angles of case’
Srinagar, Jan 01: Jammu and Kashmir police Friday said that technical verification of the slain trio has revealed that two among the three slain were radically inclined and were OGWs of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit now TRF.
In a statement issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the police spokesman said that Srinagar encounter started with army inputs and eventually fructified into a joint operation of Army, CRPF and Police.
“After the cordon was laid, terrorists lobbed grenade from inside and fired upon search party. Although as per SOP militants were repeatedly appealed by the troops to surrender in the evening and again in the morning. However, instead of surrendering, they fired upon troops and eventually got neutralised in a fire-fight,” the statement said. “In so far as claims of the parents that Aijaz Maqbool Ganai went to the University to fill up form is concerned. The same was verified and cross checked through the modern techniques including records of telecom department. Contrary to the claims, the verified digital evidence revealed and corroborated that Aijaz and Ather had gone to Hyderpora and from there to the place of occurrence only.”
The statement said that similarly, Zubair had gone first to Pulwama, then Anantnag, then Shopian to Pulwama and finally came to place of occurrence.
“Background check also reveals that Aijaz and Ather Mustaq, both OGWs variously provided logistic support to terrorists. Antecedents and verifications too shows that both were radically inclined and had aided of LeT (now so-called TRF) outfit, militants,” the statement said.
It said that one of OGW presently under police custody has also corroborated Aijaz’s association with LeT militant Faisal Mustaq Baba who was killed in Meej (Pampore) encounter in June last year. Pertinently, Ather was relative and OGW of HM top commander Rayees Kachroo who got killed in year 2017.
“Nevertheless police is investigating into the case from all possible angles,” the statement added.
