Soldier, brother leaked info on Aurangzeb: Army

Army officers on Wednesday said a colleague of rifleman Aurangzeb, who was brutally killed in June 2018 after he left his camp in South Kashmir’s Shadimarg, is believed to have leaked information about his movement to militants.

Soldier Abid Wani’s brother, Tauseef Wani was the conduit and his phone was being used to pass on information about Aurangzeb’s movement, two army officers, familiar with the investigation, said. “The call record data points to the involvement of Abid and Tauseef. Shaukat Dar, one of the terrorists involved, was told that Aurangzeb had left the camp and was on his way to Poonch,’’ one of the officers said.

The officer said Tauseef, who is now admitted in a Srinagar hospital, had arranged the private car in which Aurangzeb travelled on June 14, 2018. Aurangzeb left the camp in the morning and was on way to his home in Poonch for Eid when he was abducted and shot dead.

Posted at Shadimarg camp of Rashtriya Rifles, Aurangzeb was a close aide of an army officer who led the team that killed Sameer Tiger, a hardcore Hizbul militant commander.

Tauseef has denied these claims. “These are all false allegations. Neither my brother nor I have done anything,” he said.

Soon after Aurangzeb’s killing, the army constituted a team to probe whether he was kidnapped and murdered for his close link with the army officer and the role of some people within the unit.

The army is also investigating the role of a local woman, who Aurangzeb was dating. She too was familiar with the rifleman’s movements, the army officers said.

Army investigators have already quizzed seven soldiers, all from south Kashmir, on suspicion that they might have knowingly or unknowingly leaked information about Aurangzeb’s movements.

An army officer said the inquiry of the case began soon after the killing of Aurangzeb and many local soldiers were called for questioning from different units and Territorial Army (TA) battalions.

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday accused the army of torturing Tauseef. She alleged that an army officer asked Tauseef to pose with a gun inside Shadimarg camp and threatened to kill him in an encounter. Mehbooba also visited Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital to inquire about Tauseef’s condition.

Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said that details are being ascertained.