NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested a retired army personnel who is believed to be associated with a
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT) module operating in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, officials reported on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as
Riyaz Ahmad Rather
, was arrested on Sunday at New Delhi Railway Station. He is suspected to have played a significant role in receiving arms and ammunition from across the Line of Control (LoC).
According to a senior police officer,
Riyaz Ahmad
Rather, along with Khursheed Ahmad Rather and Ghulam Sarwar Rather, conspired to acquire weapons and ammunition from the terrorist handlers operating across the LoC. This information was received from the investigating agencies in Jammu and Kashmir, who recently busted a terror module and arrested five individuals. The recovered items included five AK rifles (short), five AK magazines, and 16 short AK rounds.
The arms and ammunition were allegedly sent by Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, also known as Shakoor, and Qazi Mohammad Khushal, who are based in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Both individuals were operating from across the border.
Upon receiving intelligence that
Riyaz
Ahmad Rather would be arriving at New Delhi Railway Station, a team was constituted and deployed at the location. The team successfully identified and apprehended him as he was attempting to flee from exit gate number-1 in the early hours.
Investigations have revealed that Riyaz Ahmad Rather, accompanied by his friend Altaf, had boarded the Mahakaushal Express from Jabalpur and arrived at Hazarat Nizamuddin railway station around 3 pm on Saturday. From there, they took an auto-rickshaw and reached New Delhi Railway Station. Riyaz had intended to go to another hideout, as per police sources.
Both Riyaz and Altaf retired from the Indian Army on January 31, 2023. During the arrest, one mobile phone and one SIM card were recovered from Riyaz's possession. He has been arrested under the appropriate sections of the law, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been informed for further necessary action.
The arrest of Riyaz Ahmad Rather marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating in Jammu and Kashmir. The Delhi Police, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, are actively working together to ensure the safety and security of the region.
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