Arshad Farooq
Srinagar, Aug 4: Police on Wednesday claimed to have solved a murder case by arresting four accused in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Police in a statement said that on 31st July one lady namely Fahmeeda Begum wife of Aijaz Ahmad Pandith resident of Khawajabagh lodged a complaint in Police station Baramulla that her husband namely Aijaz Ahmad Pandith @ Bilal son of Muhammad Ismail resident of Khawajabagh went to the bank of river Jhelum for sand extraction along with one local namely Firdous Ahmad Ganie of Khawajabagh. However after sometime mother of said Firdous Ganie reached the house of applicant and informed her that Bilal and Firdous who had crossed river Jhelum to Chakloo side have been attacked by some residents of Chakloo.
The police spokesperson further said that in the attack Bilal has probably been taken away by the attackers while Firdous managed to escape and reached home. On this a case FIR No.175/21 U/S 364 IPC was registered and investigation taken up. During the course of investigation, the survivor namely Firdous Ganaie was interrogated and he stated that during the intervening night of 30/31 of July midnight, he along with deceased Aijaz Ahmad Pandith while extracting sand from river Jhelum near Chakloo were attacked by residents of Chakloo (4 in number) from among whom they said survivor identified two attackers as Bashir Ahmad Wani son of Ahad Wani and Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh son Ghulam Hassan both residents of Chakloo Baramulla.
The statement of the said witness was substantiated during investigation of the suspects and other evidences, they said.
Accordingly the alleged accused were arrested on 2nd August and the accused confessed to the crime and stated that the deceased namely Aijaz Pandith @ Bilal and the survivor Firdous Ganie residents of Khawajabagh used to take away sand from Chakloo side of river Jhelum and on fateful night the accused along with two other accused namely Fayaz Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Ahad Shah residents of Banyari Hajin Sumbal, District Bandipora and Basit Aziz Payar son of Abdul Aziz Payar resident of Chera Koot Sogam, District Kupwara laid an ambush near the place of occurrence and when the deceased along with survivor started extracting the sand the accused pounced upon the deceased and the survivor and took the deceased with them while as the survivor jumped into the river, they added.
After taking the deceased, one of the attackers namely Mudasir Sheikh hit the deceased on head with an agricultural tool spade and then thrown into the river and drowned. The weapon of offence stands recovered on the disclosure and identification of accused, they said.
The dead body of the deceased was recovered from river Jhelum near Khanpora Bridge on 2 August after strenuous searches and efforts of police, SDRF & Marine Commandoes, they said.
After fulfilling legal formalities the dead body was handed over to family for last rites. All the four accused stand arrested, reads the statement.
