An Indian Army soldier had reportedly missing from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police officials said on Sunday. Javed Ahmad Wani, 25, a resident of Achathal area of Kulgam district, had gone missing Saturday evening, the officials said.
Wani, posted in Ladakh region, was on leave. His car was found in Paranhall later around 8pm, they said. Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down the missing soldier.
Some reports, citing his family, claimed that Wani was kidnapped from his vehicle in Kulgam district. The police, however, was yet to confirm the abduction claims.
Reports claimed Wani had gone to Chowalgam to purchase grocery items but When he didn’t return home, his family began searching for him in nearby areas and in surrounding villages. A report claimed that during the search, a pair of his slippers and blood stains were found in his car in Paranhal village.
Soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla abducted and killed
Last year, the banned Lashker-e-Taiba terror outfit abducted and killed army soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla, whose body was found in an orchard in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, police said.
The last call made by Malla, a territorial army jawan attached with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, to his mother was also done when he was being held in captivity by the Lashker-e-Taiba led by Yusuf Kantoo.
Kantoo, one of the oldest surviving terrorists, was described by Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar as “the mastermind behind the killing of the army jawan”.
According to police, the probe narrowed on a local villager Ather Illahi Sheikh who had called Malla for a meeting. It turned out that Sheikh was working for the banned terror outfit.
Malla upon reaching the meeting point with Sheikh saw three other terrorists including Kantoo. “During questioning, he (Sheikh) confessed that on March 6, three terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT came to his house and stayed there for the night.
“The next day pursuant to a well-knit conspiracy army jawan Sameer Ahmad Malla was called by the said terrorist associate Ather Illahi to his residence where from he was kidnapped by all the four and thereafter, taken to the spot where from the dead body was ultimately retrieved,” police said in a statement.
After killing Malla, Sheikh got a shovel from his house which was used to bury the body. The shovel was also recovered by the investigating team.
