Terrorist harbourer, logistics provider of Hizbul Mujahideen held in J-K's Kishtwar

A terrorist harbourer and logistics provider of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) has been arrested in a case pertaining to snatching of service rifle from escort in-charge of the District Magistrate of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Thursday.

"Yesterday (17.02.2021), NIA arrested a terrorist harbourer and logistics provider of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen namely Taraq Hussain Giri s/o Late Ghulam Hassan Giri r/o Pochhal, Police Station, District Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir in case RC-08/2019/NIA/JMU (snatching of service rifle from escort in-charge of DM Kishtwar)," read the release by the NIA.

The accused was produced before the Special NIA Court, Jammu, and taken on police remand for five days for further examination.

The case was initially registered in Kishtwar on March 8, 2019, under sections 392 RPC, sections 7, 25, and 30 of Arms Act, and sections 16,18 20, and 23 of UA(P)Act relating to snatching of service weapon from escort in-charge of District Magistrate, Kishtwar.

Later in November 2019, the NIA re-registered the case and took over the investigation.

The accused Taraq Hussain Giri was arrested for harbouring and providing logistical support to HM Terrorists namely Osama Bin Javed and Haroon Abbas W in the second week of March 2019 after the militants snatched the service rifle from the escort incharge, the NIA said.

This incident of weapon snatching was one of the four incidents of terror acts committed by HM terrorists in the period from November 2018 to September 2019, it added.

( With inputs from ANI )