NIA identifies owner of vehicle used in Pulwama terror attack

Tribune News Service
Srinagar/New Delhi, February 25

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The National Investigation Agency on Monday said it has identified the owner of the vehicle that was used in the Pulwama terror attack.

Sajad Bhat, the vehicle owner, has joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed, NIA said.

At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a bus carrying CRPF personnel on February 14.

Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit had claimed the responsibility of the attack.

An official spokesman said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation by identifying the vehicle and its owner after piecing together remnants of the car recovered from the scene of the blast.

 The NIA investigators, with the support of forensic and automobile experts, have been able to identify the vehicle used in the blast as a Maruti Eeco having chassis number MA3ERLF1SOO183735 and engine G12BN164140.

The vehicle was sold to Mohammed Jaleel Ahmed Haqani, a resident of Heaven Colony in Anantnag in 2011, and subsequently it changed hands seven times and finally reached Sajad Bhat, a resident of Bijbeharain in South Kashmir.

The vehicle was purchased on February 4, the spokesman said, adding Sajad was a student of Siraj-ul-Uloom, Shopian.

Raids were conducted by a team of NIA and police at his house on Saturday but Sajad was not present.

He has reportedly joined Jaish-e-Mohammed and his photograph also appeared on social media where he is seen holding weapons. — With PTI inputs