LeT commander Dujana, aide killed in encounter
SPARKS PROTESTS Violence follows shooting; internet, edu institutions shut
Government forces killed a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir on Tuesday, triggering street protests that left one person dead and prompted the authorities to shut down mobile internet and schools.
Police said Abu Dujana’s killing was a “huge achievement” for the government that has hardened its stand against militants after a recent spurt in violent street protests and attacks on security forces.
Late Monday night, police were tipped off about an “A++ target” meeting a woman in a village in south Kashmir. Around 4am, security forces raided a house where Dujana was said to be meeting his wife.
An hours-long gunfight followed after which soldiers blew up the house. Dujana’s body was charred “nearly beyond recognition”. A local teenaged accomplice was also killed.
Police say Dujana crossed over from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2010, and was “a master of disguise” who escaped multiple military traps and remained the longest-surviving militant from across the border.
The 27-year-old carried a reward of ₹15 lakh, but officials said he was lately a nuisance who harassed women.
Kashmir director general of police SP Vaid confirmed that Dujana was married but said it was not clear if the LeT commander had gone to meet her.
“He had married a local Kashmiri girl, today also he had gone to meet a girl, (but) can’t be sure if it was the same girl,” Vaid told Hindustan Times.
The GOC of 15 Corps, Lt Gen. J Sandhu, told reporters that Dujana was less into militancy of late and more into “aiyashi”, a Hindi word that translates to debauchery.
Dujana’s killing came just over a year after the gunning down of top Hizbul Muzahideen leader Burhan Wani.
As news of Dujana’s death spread, thousands of Kashmir residents came out onto the streets and clashed with government forces, throwing stones at them.
CONTINUED ON P 5 MORE REPORTS ››P8
Abu Dujana was among the most wanted active militants in the Kashmir valley, carrying a rare ₹15 lakh bounty on his head with an ‘A++’ label.
The security establishment classifies militants as ‘A’ or ‘A++’ in order of notoriety. The Indian army had on May 30 named 12 of the most active militants in the region, with areas of operation, names and photographs.
Burhan Wani, the Hizbul commander whose death in July last year triggered one of the worst phases of violence for the Valley, was also an A++ lister. The category normally carries a bounty of ₹10-12 lakh.
Dujana is the second A++ category militant to have been killed since the list was released, after Bashir Lashkari, who was involved in the killing of six policemen in Anantnag.
CONTINUED ON P 5
Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the state’s anti-corruption bureau (ACB) seeking its reply on why it has not investigated into the charge that the state government had given a ₹600-crore largesse to the Vedanta Group.
The notice was issued on a petition filed by Ajay Kumar Jain, an advocate.
His counsels, Aditya Jain and Ravi Saini, sought the court’s directive to the ACB for a fair and speedy probe into Jain’s allegation. ACB has been asked to file its reply within three weeks.
In the petition, Jain said that in 2003, when HZL, a public limited company, was to be privatised, the mines department had revoked the company’s mining lease for rock phosphate to lower its value.
Rock phosphate mining lease is given only to government corporations or companies.
In 2008, the revoked lease of Hindustan Zinc was reinstated, benefiting Vedanta Group to the tune of ₹600 crore, the petition alleged. The petition also informed the court that in 2011, an ACB officer got to know about this scam and had suggested a preliminary enquiry. ››P2