A Pakistani militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba, who was eliminated by a joint team of BSF and J&K Police today, has exposed a vast network of militant conduits and operatives in the State Police and civil administration. He also confirmed to his interrogators that a commander of his organisation, namely Abu Ma’z, had planned and executed the massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits in Nadimarg village of south Kashmir on March 23-24 this year.
Before his death in Chadoura area of Budgam district today, Manzoor Zahid Chowdhary S/o Dr Manzoor Chowdhary R/o Walton, Defence Colony, Lahore (Pakistan), had made sensational disclosures to BSF and JKP. Lifted by intelligence sleuths from the house of a retired JKP officer in Bagh-e-Mehtab outskirts of Srinagar city, Manzoor Zahid had spilled beans during his 4-day- long interrogation.
The Pakistani militant, who had a degree in computer applications in Lahore, had explained as to how he and others of his organisation raided Shopian Branch of Jammu & Kashmir Police in broad daylight on May 12 this year. Manzoor and five others of his outfit, all wearing black Islamic Burqas, had walked into the branch with an intention to plunder a huge amount of cash. However, JKP guards sensed rat. The moment two of them asked the Burqa- clad militants to lift their veils for identification, Manzoor and others opened fire. Selection grade constable Farooq Ahmed of Nagbal and constable Abdur Rasheed of Chotipora died on spot.
Two of the militants in the feminine disguise sustained gunshot wounds but they were quickly rescued by their colleagues. As everybody witnessed the trauma helplessly, all the militants escaped in a Maruti car, parked near Mohammadiya High School.
Manzoor Zahid also revealed how he and others of his outfit had laid an ambush near Bas Kuchhan village in Shopian area on May 19 this year with an intention to loot a huge consignment of cash from a Tata- Sumo hired by J&K Bank officials. Manager of J&K Bank Imam Sahib branch, Ghulam Hassan Bhat R/o Chhanapora Srinagar, Deputy Manager Mohammad Altaf Bhat R/o Natipora Srinagar, peon Gulzar Ahmed R/o Imam Sahib, driver Farooq Ahmed Mir R/o Chitragam and two armed constables, namely Mohammad Shafi and Aijaz Ahmed, were dragged out of the vehicle. The guards had surrendered their carbine and SLR to the militants.
According to Manzoor Zahid, militants hijacked the vehicle alongwith cash worth Rs 50 Lakh, which had been collected from Residency Road branch in Srinagar. A column of Rashtriya Rifles 01 Bn, which was returning from a cordon-and-search operation at Dangarpora (Imam Sahib) signalled the driver to stop. Instead, he drove away and all the militants travelling in it jumped out. Troops opened fire but the militants managed to escape. Later, troops seized the vehicle with cash worth Rs 50 Lakh.
Manzoor Zahid confirmed to his interrogators that massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits during the night intervening March 23 and March 24 this year at Nadimarg (Shopian) was the "individual decision" of a Lashkar commander, namely Abu Ma’z of Pakistan. He disclosed that the operation had not been cleared by "our headquarters". Even as Manzoor was not present, Abu Ma’z and others carried out the carnage, while brutally killing 24 unarmed civilians.
However, what caused ripples in the Police and paramilitary circles was Manzoor Zahid’s disclosure regarding the existence of a vast militant network in JKP and civil administration. He told his interrogators that he had been frequently staying at the residences of a retired SP, a retired Dy SP and a judge who has been dismissed from Judicial Service. He revealed that the judge was a resident of Shopian but often residing at his house in Srinagar.
Sources disclosed to EXCELSIOR that Manzoor Zahid identified at least eight JKP personnel, including a woman constable, who had been helping the Lashkar militants, providing them logistic support and information besides arranging boarding and lodging for them. The retired Dy SP’s son, who is a wireless operator, his son-in-law who is a Junior Engineer (Mechanical) with UEED, the JE’s father who is a Head Constable, a research scholar of Kashmir University and another son of the retired Dy SP who is a Constable in Crime Branch, have all been identified by the Lashkar militant as his operatives and helpers.
Police and security forces have immediately launched an operation to arrest and interrogate all the officials who have been identified by the militant. Manzoor Zahid has been reportedly killed in Chadoura area of Budgam district today. Today’s bulletin from J&K Police Headquarters said that Manzoor Zahid Choudhary alias Abu Murshid alias Abu Nadeem alias Abu Zeeshan of Lahore, Pakistan, got killed in an encounter with security forces and Police at Kesarmulla in Chadoura. One AK rifle and two hand grenades were claimed to have been recovered from him.
Earlier today, DIG BSF Kashmir Frontier K Srinivasan told reporters that Manzoor Zahid had got killed in an encounter with troops of BSF 118 Bn and J&K Police in an ambush in Chadoura area. He described the slain militant as "Chief Co-ordinator" of Lashkar-e-Toiba and claimed that he had been among the militants who had launched an attack on Akshardham temple in Gujarat last year. He said that Manzoor had sent two militants, namely Haafiz and Abdul Hawal, for the attack from Srinagar.
He said that the slain militant had also planned an attack at a religious place in Ayodhya but both of them got killed in Faridabad before the attack. The BSF officer said that Manzoor was also responsible for an attack on J&K Bank in Shopian and looting a bank vehicle besides planning a strike on the former MLA Sheikh Mohammad Rafi. He had also conducted a reconnaissance survey of Pahalgam on July 3 for planning an attack on Amarnath pilgrims. Srinivasan said that forces had launched an operation to apprehend Lashkar’s South Kashmir Divisional Commander Abu Omar, "District Commander" Pulwama Abu Rehman Sayani and others. He said that one laptop computer, a satellite telephone and a digital diary had been recovered from Manzoor’s possession.
Chowdhary was also involved in an
attack on former NC MLA from Shopian, Rafiq Sheikh during elections last
year.