Another arrest in Pulwama bombing case

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 2

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested one more accused in the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

The NIA arrested Mohammad Iqbal Rather (25), a resident of Futlipura, Charar-e-Shareef, Budgam, who had allegedly facilitated the movement of Jaish-e-Mohammad militant Mohammad Umar Farooq, who was the key conspirator in the case. So far the NIA has arrested six accused in the case.

A spokesperson for the NIA said Umar, along with others, had assembled the IED used in the attack.

“Rather had facilitated the movement of Mohammad Umar Farooq, the JeM terrorist and key conspirator in the case, after he infiltrated into the Indian territory in the Jammu region in April, 2018, from the national highway near the international border, to south Kashmir. Mohammad Umar Farooq, along with others, had assembled the IED used in the attack,” the spokesperson said.

As per the NIA, Rather has been under judicial custody since September, 2018, in another Jaish-e-Mohammed-related case investigated by the NIA.

“As such, he was produced by the jail authorities before the NIA Special Court, Jammu, today and was sent to seven-day NIA custody for his interrogation,” the spokesman said.

The spokesperson said the initial examination revealed that Rather was in constant touch with the Pakistan-based leadership of Jaish and was in communication with them over secure messaging applications.

“Rather was part of the transportation module of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist organisation,” the spokesperson added.