The J&K Police have booked two leaders of Masarat Alam’s Muslim League on charges of murder of a top counter-insurgency police officer, Altaf Ahmed.
Altaf was gunned down by suspected militants in an attack in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on October 7.The police said Showket Hakeem, general secretary of the Muslim League, and Mehraj-ud-din, both residents of the Hajin area of Bandipora district, were detained following questioning of a driver, believed to have ferried two top militants, including Abu Qasim, the mastermind of the Udhampur attack, in the area.
The Muslim League, which is the constituent of the hardline Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Geelani, is headed by Masarat Alam, who is in custody.
“We have booked Hakeem and Mehraj under Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Shabir. “More people will be booked in the case,” the SP added.
Sub-Inspector Altaf Ahmed was killed when he was chasing one of the top militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Abu Qasim. Qasim is wanted by the National Investigation Agency in the Udhampur attack.
Altaf was instrumental in arrest and killing of many top militants since 2000. He had also generated a technical input, leading to the arrest of separatist leader Masarat Alam during the 2010 protests.
Muslim League’s Hakeem was accused by the Lashkar-e-Islam, the group that carried out attacks on mobile installations in Sopore in May and June this year, of being responsible for the killing of a top Lashkar militant in 2013.
However, the Lashkar-e-Toiba, in a statement later, had said Hakeem was innocent.
