Mystery shrouds J&K cop’s arrest

SRINAGAR: Mystery shrouds the role of Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh, a J&K policeman, arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the Mumbai terror attack.

While J&K police officers are maintaining a complete silence, Sheikh’s family too is clueless about the facts behind his arrest. Mohammad Yousuf Sheikh, Mukthar’s father, said his son had gone to Jammu a few days ago in connection with his work and is expected back before Eid.

“A friend of mine told me this morning that there is news about Mukhtar’s arrest. I immediately called the IGP with whom he is working and he told me he is fine,” said Sheikh, who runs a provision store at Dewathwali Pora in Rainawari of old Srinagar
city.

Mukhtar, intelligence sources said, is believed to have penetrated the ranks of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) to extract information and help the security forces.

He had bought SIMs from Kolkata and handed them over to the LeT. One of the SIMs provided by Mukhtar to Lashkar was recovered from a Mumbai attack site, after which he was arrested along with his accomplice, Tousif. Even the intelligence agencies were in the know of his links and they are now in a tizzy after he was arrested, sources said.

Mukhtar’s brother Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh was killed by militants. Mukhtar was therefore recruited in the force on compassionate grounds.

h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net