BARAMULLA: Baramulla police have solved the muder case of a Khawaja bagh sand digger within days and have arrested all the accused persons.
Police said that, on 31-07-2021 a lady Fameeda Begum wife of Aijaz Ahmad Pandith of Khawaja Bagh lodged a complaint in police station Baramulla that her husband namely Aijaz Ahmad Pandith alis Bilal son of Mohammad Ismail of Khawajabagh went to the banks of river Jhelum for sand extraction along with another person Firdous Ahmad Ganie of Khawajabagh.
However, the mother of said Firdous Ganie reached the house of applicant and informed her that Bilal and Firdous who had crossed river Jhelum to Chakloo side have been attacked by some residents of Chakloo. In the attack Bilal was probably taken away by the attackers while Firdous managed to escape and reached home.
On this a case FIR number 175/21 under section 364 IPC was registered and investigation taken up. During the course of investigation the survivor namely Firdous Ganie was interrogated and he stated that during the intervening night of 30/31 July, 2021 he along with deceased Aijaz Ahmad Pandith while extracting sand from river Jhelum near Chakloo they were attacked by some four people of Chakloo from among whom the said survivor identified two attackers as Bashir Ahmad Wani son of Ahad Wani and Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh son of Gulam Hassan both residents of Chakloo Baramulla.
The statement of the said witness was substantiated during investigation of the suspects and other evidence. Accordingly the alleged accused were arrested on 02-08-2021 and the accused confessed to the crime and stated that the deceased Aijaz Ahmad Pandith alis Bilal son of Mohammad Ismail Pandith and the survivor Firdous Ahmad Ganie of Khawajabagh used to take away sand from Chakloo side of river Jhelum and on fateful night the accused alongwith two other accused namely Fayaz Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Ahad Shah of Banyari Hajin Sumbal, District Bandipora and Basit Aziz Payar son of Abdul Aziz Payar of Chera Koot Sogam, District Kupwara laid an ambush near the place of occurrence and when the deceased alongwith survivor started extracting the sand the accused pounced upon the deceased and the survivor and took the deceased with them while as the survivor jumped into the river.
After taking the deceased, one of the attackers namely Mudasir Sheikh hit the deceased on head with an agricultural tool spade (bailcha) and then was thrown into the river and drowned. The weapon of offence was recovered on the disclosure and identification of the accused.
The dead body of the deceased was recovered from river Jhelum near Khanpora on 02-08-2021 after strenuous searches and efforts of police, SDRF and Marcos.
After fulfilling legal formalities the dead body was handed over to family for last rites. All the four accused stand arrested. Police said.

Reader correspondent