No case registered with J&K Police against Kawa

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 13

There is no case registered with the J&K Police against 37-year-old local businessman Bilal Ahmed Kawa who has been arrested by the Delhi Police for his alleged involvement in the 2000 Red Fort attack case.

The J&KPolice have also not received any notice declaring him a proclaimed offender.

At Kawa’s house in old Srinagar, his relatives and neighbours vouched for his innocence. The family has also met Additional Director General of Police Muneer Khan. The police facilitated the meeting of family members with Delhi police officials through its New Delhi-based Criminal Investigation Department cell.

“There is no case registered against Kawa at the local police station,” said Sajad Shah, Superintendent of Police, North City. The SP said the police had not received any notification declaring him a proclaimed offender.

Kawa was arrested by the Delhi Police and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on January 11 from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on the charges of involvement in the 2000 Red Fort attack case. In the incident, three persons, including two Army jawans, were killed. After his arrest, the Delhi Police claimed that Kawa was a Lashkar-e-Toiba operative and a proclaimed offender in the case.

His family has rejected the Delhi Police claim, saying he was being framed in the case.

“He had gone there for a medical check-up and meet family members who are living in Delhi. He had never gone underground. Had he been a terrorist, he would not have travelled to Delhi,” a relative of Kawa said. His family staged a protest on Friday against his arrest.

Meanwhile, the moderate Hurriyat Conference has called for his release. “Bilal is a businessman and deals with hides. He is being deliberately implicated in the case. He should be released immediately,” the Hurriyat said in a statement.