NIA team collects samples from site
JAMMU: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday inspected the passenger bus that was gutted near Katra town, the base camp for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of J&K, officials said.
The team comprising explosives expert inspected the site for over an hour and collected samples. Four persons were killed and 24 others injured when the moving bus, mostly ferrying devotees, caught fire near Nomai, about 3km from Katra, shortly after leaving for Jammu on Friday. The four deceased have been identified as Laxmi, in her 30s, from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh; Meena Devi, 40, of Pamote village in Katra; Bagheswar Chouhan, 55, of Gazipur in UP and his three-year-old grandson Shivam Chouhan.
‘No terror connection established yet’
Reasi SSP Amit Gupta said, “All the four dead have been identified. While bodies of two of them have been sent to their native places, kin of other two are on their way to Katra to collect their mortal remains.”
“FSL and IB teams were there, along with the police. We have collected all evidences, but there is no such conclusion (of terror angle) so far. The probe is on,” he added.
Medical superintendent of government medical college and hospital in Jammu, Dr ADS Manhas, said, “The woman with 82% burns is in ICU, while two other patients were operated upon this morning. Two more are lined up for the surgical procedure. Remaining 16 are stable.”
TRF case: NIA arrests 2
The NIA on Saturday conducted raids at four locations in J&K and arrested two persons, Muzamil Mushtaq Bhat of Khwaja Bagh, Fatehpora, Baramulla, and Fayaz Ahmad Khan of Warpora, Zachaldara, Kupwara, in TRF conspiracy case.