SRINAGAR: Police on Tuesday said a hybrid militant, who was involved in killing of two migrant workers from Punjab in Srinagar last week, has been arrested and the weapon used in the targeted killing recovered.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir V K Birdi told reporters today that police have cracked the case of targeted killing of two workers (carpenters) from Punjab by militants in Shala Kadal area of Shaheed Gunj in Srinagar on February 7.
Police on the basis of technical and field analysis, he said, zeroed-in on certain suspects and later on based upon clinching evidence collected during investigation identified and arrested the main accused namely Adil Manzoor Langoo of Zaldagar of downtown Srinagar.
The IGP said the weapon of offence (a pistol) used in the attack has been recovered. On February 7 evening, militants shot at two migrant workers from Punjab — Amritpal Singh and Rohit Masih. Both sustained critical bullet injuries and Amritpal was declared “dead on arrival” in Srinagar hospital while Rohit succumbed to the injuries next morning.
Amrital and Rohit were coming to Srinagar from Amritsar and were on their way to their accommodation when they were attacked. The IGP said during the investigation, it has been found that the accused had conspired with his handler in Pakistan for commission of the terror crime.
“The accused was motivated and radicalized individual. His handler in Pakistan radicalised him on social media and motivated him to carry out the terror attack. The handler provided him with the weapon after which he motivated him to carry out the attack,” he said.
According to IGP, the accused identified his targets and fired on them from point blank range, killing both of them. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the attack. The ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said police would act tough against the handlers, who lure Kashmiri youth towards militancy.