2 Rajouri youths get ‘offer’ of Rs 1,000 per day for throwing stones; accused held

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 24

In a startling revelation, two Muslim youths from the Sunderbani area of Rajouri district have exposed the Kashmir valley’s insidious villains as they claimed that they have been allegedly offered Rs 1,000 per day each (Rs 30,000 a month) for stoking trouble in the valley.

They claimed that the “agents” of Kashmir-based “anti-social” forces in Rajouri had constantly been approaching them to do the “job” of throwing stones on security forces and police personnel.

A video of their presser in the Sunderbani area has gone viral in the social media wherein they claimed they had been facing life threat if they refused the offer of the “anti-social” elements.

The youth have been identified as Masood Ahmad, son of Talib Hussain, and Musaid Ahmad, son of Akbar Din, both residents of Sia village in Sunderbani.

They alleged that a person, identified as Mohammad Maqsood, resident of Makol hamlet, adjacent to their village Sia, had been offering them money for stoking unrest in the Kashmir valley.

“For the past one and half months, he (Maqsood) has constantly been asking us to go to Srinagar where we will be paid Rs 1,000 per day for throwing stones. I have participated in recruitment rallies of the police and Army but could not qualify it so far. Maqsood told me that recruitment rallies will yield no results for me and I should join the stone-throwers in Srinagar to earn a handsome amount. We have been threatened of dire consequences if we do not agree to his proposal,” Masood said.

Rajouri and Poonch districts, which share border with Pakistan, have substantial Muslim population but there had been no incident of Muslim youth participating in stone-throwing incidents in the Kashmir valley. The revelation of the two youths indicates the desperate attempts of Pakistan and its mercenaries in Kashmir to involve Muslim youth from Rajouri and Poonch in stoking trouble in the region.

The police have downplayed the revelation, claiming that “the allegations of two youths were fake having roots in personal enmity.” It, however, has arrested the accused on the charges of criminal conspiracy and attempt to abet offence.

“We have taken cognisance of the matter and a probe has been ordered. It has come to the fore that the families of the youths had some issue with the family of the accused but we are looking into all angels. The brother of the accused works for a madrassa in Kashmir and he has been called for questioning,” Yougal Manhas, SSP, Rajouri, said.