A 50-year-old Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist, absconding for over four years, has been arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. The accused, Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Sopore district of the Kashmir valley, was held in Srinagar. Police said he was 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.
Police said Ahmad was initially arrested along with Abdul Gafoor, a hardcore JeM cadre from Sialkot in Pakistan, and others in 2007 following a fierce encounter in Delhi.
“Ahmad went into hiding after a trial court acquitted him in 2013. This decision was later reversed by the Delhi High Court, which convicted him in 2014,” said a senior police official adding that since then Ahmad was on run.
According to Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell, in a bid to locate and arrest wanted and rewarded terrorists, a police team was sent to Jammu & Kashmir to develop the information about these terrorists.
“Earlier, on March 25, one of the three accused, Fayaz Ahmad Lone, was arrested in Srinagar and on May 11 another wanted terrorist Abdul Majeed Baba was also arrested from Srinagar. After the arrest of these two accused persons, efforts were continued to arrest the remaining terrorist Bashir Ahmad Ponu,” said the DCP.
“To evade police arrest Ahmad was randomly changing his hideouts. Finally, on July 15, the sleuths of Special Cell traced and nabbed him from Kothibagh,” said the DCP.
“Ahmad was very close to Altaf Ahmad Kirmani, a Pak trained militant who was arrested by Special Cell. Kirmani introduced him with Pak militant Haider who asked him to work for JeM outfit. Ahmad was tasked to provide logistic help to the members of JeM outfit from Sopore,” said the DCP.
“Ahmad also persuaded Abdul Majid Baba and Faiyaz Ahmad lone to join him and work for their outfit. On February 4, 2007, Ahmad came to Delhi with his other accomplices Fayaz and Baba to hand over the huge consignment of arms, ammunitions and explosives to their other accomplice Shahid Gafoor, a resident of Pakistan. All of them were arrested after a brief shootout with team of Special Cell at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Marg in city,” said the DCP. “Ahmad is being brought to Delhi to face sentencing by the Delhi High Court and his activities over the past four years are also being probed,” said the DCP adding that further investigation is on.
