NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a man who was allegedly contracted for killing Dasna Devi temple’s head priest Swami Yati Narsinghanand terror group Jaise-e-Mohammad (JeM). 24-year-old John Mohammad Dar alias Jehangir, a resident of Pulawa district in Kashmir, was apprehended from a hotel in Paharganj.
Police recovered a pistol and live ammunition as well as saffron clothes, chandan tika, kalawa and mala from him. These clothes were allegedly to be used as a cover to gain entry into the temple situated in Ghaziabad.
The Delhi Police had registered an FIR in April against Narsinghanand for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community on a complaint from AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.
The preliminary interrogation has revealed that Dar, who is a carpenter by profession, had met a man named Abid in December last year who had informed him that he was from Pakistan and associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), police said.
They became friends and Abid motivated Dar to work for him. According to the police, Abid assigned him with the task to assassinate Swami Narsinghanand.
He also showed Dar a video of the religious leader.Abid trained Dar on how to use small arms like pistol. He also promised Dar that he would be paid a substantial amount for carrying out the action. He then told the accused that someone named Umar will receive him in Delhi.
On 23rd April accused left for Delhi was in touch with Umar through Telegram. Umar was to arrange his recce and stay in Delhi and also to provide access to Narsinghanand. It was Umar who shifted him to a hotel in Pahargandj. Later, he and Umar received the arms from another person near his hotel, police said.