From contract killings to extortion gangs to drug cartels to stone-pelting mobs, the released militants are now running the organised crime syndicates in the valley.
Forget the gun-wielding militants; the army of released ultras is posing the biggest threat to the society in Kashmir.
From contract killings to extortion gangs to drug cartels to stone-pelting mobs, the released militants are now running the organised crime syndicates in the valley.
Official figures reveal that there are over 18,000 released militants in Kashmir. The released militants comprise those terrorists who have been freed either by obtaining bails or their preventive custody has been quashed by the courts.
What has added a dangerous dimension to whole story is that the released militants have been found involved in most sensational killings in the valley for the last few months.
Take the broad day light killing of 55-year-old Afzal Khan in Lal Chowk on June 6. The police have arrested three persons and one of them is a released militant of Hizb-ul-Mujadeen.
“Investigations revealed that the killing was not a militancy-related case but a criminal conspiracy. Farooq Ahmad Dar and Parvaiz Ahmad Tantray of Sopore were having a dispute over money transaction with Khan. On June 6, Farooq called Khan to Srinagar promising remittance. On reaching Lal Chowk, Lateef, a released militant of HM, who was hired by Farooq, shot him dead point blank”, said SM Sahai, IGP Kashmir.
This is not an isolated case of released militants turned mafia shooter. On March 19, police arrested five persons for killing a prominent businessman Nazir Ahmad Lone at Kreeri in Baramulla district of February 28. During investigations it was found that the recycled militants and over ground workers were involved in his killing
On February 19, police arrested a woman who had hired released militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba Showkat to kill her husband at Wagoora to settle scores. Showkat is absconding since and efforts are on to arrest him.
Last month J&K police busted a gang of former militants who were running one of the biggest drug cartels in the north Kashmir area. Four persons were arrested of whom three were former militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen.
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