Three arrested in Krishna Dhaba attack case: IGP

SRINAGAR — Police on Friday claimed to have worked out within 24 hours a case involving attack on Krishna Dhaba (eatery) owner’s son at Sonwar here on February 17 by arresting three youth.

“On (Wednesday) night there was an attack outside a Dhaba (eatery) as a result of which there was fear across the country, especially among tourists. The militants wanted to show that they can carry out attack in a safe area. On the day, police and security forces had taken foreign envoys to Budgam and the function went off peacefully there. We brought them back to hotel. In the evening, there was attack by three bike borne youths,” Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir Zone, told reporters here.

Two of them went to the counter of Krishna Dhaba and took out a pistol and fired upon at the (son of the Dhaba owner) as a result of which he was injured. They later escaped. The area is frequented by tourists and even during Hartal (strike), the area remains open,” he said, adding, “Police with the help of CCTV footage identified the youth. Parents were brought to police station and told that their son carried out the attack and left.”

With the help of parents, he said, “we kept their phone on surveillance and two militants, who had probably joined the militant ranks, closed the phone near Pampore. Then, one of them called their family from the phone of a Phari labourer and said that I am going to Pahalgam. A police party went there and arrested them from the spot.”

On the spot, he said, they were interrogated and they disclosed that the name of another one, a resident of Pulwama who was later arrested. “They confessed to have carried out the attack. We also recovered the pistol used in the commission of offence as also confiscated the bike used,” he added.

He said that the trio was instructed to carry out the attack by south Kashmir based LeT militants “Janbaz Foji” in wake of the foreign delegates visit.

“One of the reasons was to target the Dhaba owner as he belongs to Jammu and is Hindu. The aim could be to disturb the communal harmony,” the top police officer of Kashmir said.

He said the case under IPC Section 307 has been was registered. “The police cracked the case within 24 hours,” he said.