NIA arrests ex-panchayat member from Shopian

A NIA OFFICIAL SAID TARIQ AHMAD WAS WORKING WITH THE MILITANTS OPERATING IN THE AREA AND PROVIDED THEM LOGISTICAL SUPPORT

SRINAGAR: The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a former panchayat member from south Kashmir’s Shopian district in connection with the case pertaining to the arrest of now suspended deputy superintendent of police Davinder Singh who was nabbed for driving terrorists out of the Kashmir Valley earlier this year.

Officials said Tariq Ahmad was arrested from his house in Baramulla district.

A senior NIA official, who is privy to investigations, said the arrested person had been working with the militants operating in the area and provided them logistical support.

Officials said Tariq is a former panchayat member and he was also in contact with Davinder Singh. “We want to ascertain the role of Tariq and Davinder Singh. It will be probed during the investigations. We are hopeful of getting more leads,’’ the official said.

DSP Davinder Singh was arrested along with three militants from the national highway at Qazigund on January 11 by a team of J&K police at a naka after an input about movement of militants.

After Singh’s arrest the case was handed over to the NIA for further investigations. The NIA had carried a series of raids in different parts of Kashmir and questioned more than two dozen people.

The team also raided the DSP’s house in Srinagar and his ancestral home in Tral area.