Regular college students from well-to-do families are being lured by Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen militants to carry out terror acts for cash.
A DNA Special
SRINAGAR: Last June, the J&K police arrested 11 young men from Anantnag area. The police had been working overtime to bust a militant ring that would hurl grenades at chosen targets and flee. All the arrested young men turned out to be part of that wing. What baffled the police was the fact that all eleven of them were not hardened criminals, but regular college students from well-to-do families who were lured by the Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen for cash.
What came as a rude shock to the police were the revelations made by these boys. The militants' strategy was to exploit the needs of young men like them by paying them to sustain their daily needs. In turn, they were asked to carry out terror attacks. It was the first case of outsourcing of violence by militants in Kashmir.
"The ultras were paying their mobile bills and giving them enough pocket money to be able to maintain a good lifestyle. In turn, they were asked to throw grenades, courier arms and ammunitions besides other work," said Himant Kumar Lohia, deputy inspector general of police, J&K.
Manpower shortage, dwindling public support and pressure from security forces have made it difficult for militants to operate within the Valley. Faced with growing isolation, the ultras are trying hard to retain their cadres and involve larger sections of the society in the subversive acts. Hence, the new tactic.
Take the case of fourteen-year-old Basharat Ahmed Teli, an 8th standard student of Nildoora village, who was arrested by the Pulwama police for lobbing a grenade at Shopian in which two people were killed and 35 others injured in January.
Basharat was promised Rs 1000 for hurling a grenade, but eventually only Rs 500 was paid to him. "Basharat told us two militants Shahsawar and Mudasir of the Harkat-ul-Mujhadeen motivated him to lob a grenade on an army patrol or any crowded civilian area," said Nitesh Kumar, SSP, Pulwama.
Some are lured by two outfits simultaneously to carry out terror jobs. This came to fore when the police busted a LeT module and arrested 12 militants responsible for killings, shootouts and explosions in Srinagar city.
"It was revealed that this module was not only working for the LeT under the command of Abu Tahir, but was also executing different acts of terrorism for the Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen. In this process, the module got paid not only by LeT but by Hizb-ul ultras as well," said S M Sahai, IGP, Kashmir range.
“When young men with no criminal records take to terror acts, security agencies have no clue who to go after. This works for the militants,” said M M Khajuria, former director general of police, J&K, and noted security analyst. "Militants do not waste their trained cadre for small attacks. They exploit poor villagers by paying them and getting small jobs done. We are however aware of their designs now," said Lieutenant Colonel A K Mathur, defence spokesman.
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