Pahalgam Attack Case: J&K Police Arrests Man Accused Of Helping Terrorists
The person nabbed has been identified as Mohammad Kataria, NDTV reported, adding that the arrest is based on the forensic analysis of weapons and equipment recovered during Operation Mahadev in July.
The Jammu & Kashmir Police has arrested a man accused of helping the terrorists involved in the April terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
The person nabbed has been identified as Mohammad Kataria, who is a resident of south Kashmir, NDTV reported, adding that the arrest is based on the forensic analysis of weapons and equipment recovered during Operation Mahadev in July.
Previously, a special NIA court in Jammu on Sept. 18 extended the investigation and remand period of Bashir Ahmad Jothat, who hails from Baisaran in Pahalgam, and Parvaiz Ahmad from Batkote in Pahalgam, who are detained for allegedly harbouring the terrorists who carried out the heinous attack.
The court held a prima facie case in favour of the extension of the remand and the investigation in view of the allegations, progress of the investigation and pending forensic and DNA profiling reports.
Public Prosecutor Chandan Kumar Singh, representing NIA, had moved an application seeking extension of custody from 90 to 180 days under provisions of UAPA.
The prosecution argued that crucial evidence, including statements of witnesses, forensic reports, DNA profiling of seized blankets and shawls, and analysis of mobile data linked to Pakistani numbers, was still awaited. More suspects and overground workers were claimed to have surfaced during the probe, besides recoveries from a July 28 encounter, in which three terrorists were killed, pending expert examination.
Singh said some blankets, shawls and bedsheets were recovered at the behest of Jothat and Ahmad, and were sent to CFSL Chandigarh for extraction of DNA to be matched with the killed terrorists.
According to the NIA, the accused disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The federal agency alleged that Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the terrorists at a seasonal 'dhok' (hut) in Hill Park in Pahalgam before the April 22, the day of terror attack which claimed the life of 26 people.
