3 newly recruited militants arrested for attack on Akash Mehra

3 newly recruited militants arrested for attack on Akash Mehra

TRF’s Ghazi lured them, aim was to instil fear among tourists: IGP

Srinagar: Police have arrested three militants responsible for the deadly attack on Akash Mehra, the son of the owner of the Krishna Dhaba at Dalgate, just two days after the incident happened on Wednesday evening.
In a press conference held on Friday, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said the attack was carried out by newly recruited militants, who have been arrested, and have confessed to their crime.
“A civilian called SP South City that the attackers were riding a bike, after which we accessed the CCTV footage and followed other inputs,” the IGP said.
“They were lured by The Resistance Front (TRF) commander Ghazi, who had tasked the trio to strike at Krishna Dhaba where tourist rush is always high and the shop even remains open during hartals,” he said, and added that the attack was carried out to instil fear among tourists on a day when foreign envoys were in Srinagar.
The 25-year-old Akash Mehra was shot at outside Krishna Dhaba in Dalgate area of Srinagar. It was the second attack on a Hindu businessman in Srinagar after a goldsmith, Satpal Nischal, was shot dead at the busy market in Sarai Bala.
“The bike and pistol used in the attack have been seized. All three arrested were newly recruited militants and one of them was given pistol training in the forest area of Pahalgam. Two of the militants belong to Pampore and the third is from Pulwama,” Kumar said. “Police have also recorded their confession statement in a video and it will be produced before the court along with the charge sheet.”
The case was cracked by a police team working under supervision of a DIG rank officer and headed by the SP South, Kumar said.
Regarding steps taken to prevent any such attack in future, Kumar said, “More surveillance and deployment in the busy areas of Srinagar and elsewhere would be started. Bunkers will be set up on need basis. Frisking will also be intensified.”

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