Convicted JeM Militant Evading Arrest Nabbed From Srinagar

New Delhi: A Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant evading arrest for over four years after being convicted by the High Court here was nabbed from Srinagar by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, officials said Tuesday.

Bashir Ahmad (50), a resident of Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore, was held in Srinagar and brought to Delhi to face sentencing by the High Court, police said, adding his activities over the past four years are also being probed.

He is an absconding convict in a 2007 case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his arrest, they said.

Ahmad was initially arrested along with Abdul Gafoor, a hardcore JeM militant from Sialkot in Pakistan, and others in 2007 following an encounter in Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

But a trial court acquitted him in 2013 following which he went into hiding. Meanwhile, his acquittal was challenged in the Delhi High Court which reversed the decision and convicted him in 2014, the officer said.

But Ahmad did not surrender, the officer said.

Meanwhile, a police team was sent to Jammu and Kashmir to locate and arrest wanted and rewarded militants.

The officer said that police first got hold of two associates of Ahmad.

Fayaz Ahmad Lone was arrested on March 25, while Abdul Majeed Baba was nabbed on May 11 from Srinagar, the DCP said.

With their arrest, Ahmad got extra cautious and began continuously changing his hideouts to dodge the police, DCP Yadav said.

However, he said that on July 15, the police traced Ahmad’s location to Srinagar and he was apprehended from Kothibagh area.

He was produced before a court in Srinagar which granted his transit remand to the Delhi Police and he was brought to the national capital Tuesday, the officer said.

Police said Ahmad was very close to a Pakistan trained militant, Altaf Ahmad Kirmani. Kirmani introduced him to another Pakistan militant, Haider, who asked him to work for the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Ahmad was tasked to provide logistical help to JeM members at his native place in Sopore, the officer said.

Ahmad persuaded Lone and Baba to work for the terror outfit, the officer added.

On February 4, 2007, Ahmad came to Delhi with Fayaz and Baba to hand over a huge consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives to their other accomplice, Shahid Gafoor, a Pakistani, the officer said.

All of them were arrested after a brief shootout with a team of Special Cell at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Marg in city, police said.