Two Kashmiri students held for Maqsudan police station blast

: Punjab Police on Monday said two Kashmiri college students, allegedly associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ulHind (AGH) — a Valley-based terrorist outfit with links to Jaish-e-Mohammed — have been arrested in connection with the Maqsudan police station hand grenade blast case. The AGH is headed by Zakir Rashid Bhatt alias Zakir Mussa, who masterminded the September 14 attack, police said.

Shahid Qayoom, 22, and Fazil Bashir, 23, students of students of St Soldier College of Engineering and Technology, Jalandhar, have been arrested, they said.

According to police, it is the second such case of arrest of Kashmiri students linked with AGH in the state. Last month, police had arrested three Kashmiri students from the hostel of CT Institute of Engineering Management and Technology, Jalandhar. DGP Suresh Arora, in a release, said four persons were involved in carrying out the hand grenade blasts inside the Maqsudan police station in Jalandhar. A cop was injured in the attack.

Apart from Shahid and Fazil, Mir Ravoof Ahmed alias Rouf and Mir Umar Ramzan alias Gazi were also involved in the act. Rouf and Gazi are absconding, he added.

The police said AGH’s recruiter Amir of Dada Sara Tral in Kashmir had contacted Shahid and Fazil when they were in the Valley. He reportedly radicalised them and also exhorted the students to work for the terror outfit. Giving further details, the DGP said Rouf and Gazi, who were trained AGH operatives flew from Srinagar to Chandigarh on September 13.

They travelled to Jalandhar by bus where they met Shahid and Fazil around Maqsudan Chowk, located near the Maqsudan police station.

Shahid and Fazil took them to their friend’s PG in Surat Nagar, Maqsudan. Later, they carried out the recce of Maqsudan police station. Shahid had borrowed a black-coloured HP number Pulsar bike from one of his friends to facilitate the reconnaissance operation.

On September 14, the four accused hurled four grenades at the police station and fled from the spot. After the blasts, Rouf, Gaji and Fazil reached the bus stand via DAV College-Patel Chowk route while Shahid reached there by taking the Jalandhar bypass road. Later, Rouf and Gazi boarded a bus for J&K.

The DGP said Faizal was arrested by Punjab Police from Awantipora (in Kashmir )on November 3 and Shahid was arrested from Jalandhar on November 4. An FIR under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) and the explosives act was registered against them at division number 1 police station.

THE ACCUSED ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ANSAR GHAZWATULHIND, A VALLEYBASED TERROR OUTFIT WITH LINKS TO JAISH