Jawan held with grenades at J&K airport

An army jawan was arrested with two grenades at Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar airport by an anti-hijacking squad on Monday.

A senior officer gave him the grenades to be handed over to someone in Delhi, sources quoted the soldier as saying.

“Major sahib ne kaha tha (Major sir told me to do so),” the jawan said during questioning.

An army spokesman confirmed that the soldier was ‘caught carrying grenade in a packet’ as reported by the airport authorities.

“The matter is under investigation. As per due process of law, the army will take action against the individual,’’ the spokesman said.

The explosives were found in the baggage as the soldier, posted near in the Line of Control in Uri, was to board a chartered Air India flight for security personnel. As security personnel don’t have to undergo the multiple tier security, the jawan had managed to sneak in the grenades to the last checking points.

The jawan, identified as Bhupal Mukhia, is a resident of Darjeeling in West Bengal and is from 17 J&K Rifles.

Sources in the army said the jawan was still in the custody of Jammu and Kashmir police but the army might try to get his custody to proceed with the investigation under its own rules.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid said the probe into the incident was on. “Whether it is an army man or a civilian, everybody will be dealt with firmly by the law,’’ he said.

The soldier’s arrest comes a day after PM Modi inaugurated the Chenani-Nashri all-weather tunnel in the border state.

A few hours after the inauguration, a policeman was killed and 14 security personnel injured in a grenade attack by militants in Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.