NIA recovers ultras’ list from separatist’s house
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized a secret list of most wanted militants in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) from separatist leader Shahid-ul-Islam who has been arrested on the charges of fueling violence in the Valley with Pakistani funding.
The recovery of the document has raised uncomfortable questions as to whether he has an informer in the state police. The raid on Islam’s premises were conducted along with two dozen other locations in June.
The list was prepared by the intelligence wing of the state police some three months ago. It contains names of 158 militants active in the state at the time and the names of outfits they belong to, their addresses as well as categorisation. The state police grades militants in five categories — A++, A+, A, B and lowest C — depending on involvement.
“We were in for huge surprise when we checked the veracity of list from the Jammu and Kashmir police. We were told that it was the copy of a list prepared by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police. We are curious to know whether the list travelled to Pakistan as well,” said a senior NIA official. The NIA has in fact recorded a statement of a Superintendent in the J&K police in this regard.
“Yes, it’s a secret list for internal consumption of the police but there are situations where in a family, one brother is a militant and another a policeman. So sometimes, things get leaked and we are trying our best to stop it,” said a senior J&K police official.
The official further asked, “Do you think our civil administration is not in touch with the separatists? One of the lawmakers has branded Burhan Wani, the militant commander killed last year, as freedom fighter. What action should be taken against a constable, if a lawmaker speaks like this?”
The NIA is now retracing the journey of the list from the police department to Islam who is now in custody of NIA along with six other separatists in connection with a probe into them allegedly receiving Pakistani funding.