Setting alarm bells for security agencies, the Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said it arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba supporters, including Sandeep Kumar Sharma alias Adil of Uttar Pradesh.
Inspector General of Police Muneer Khan, addressing a presser in Srinagar, said Sharma and another local supporter Muneeb Shah, a resident of Kulgam, was "a part of LeT module."
He said the complicity of Sharma has been found in the attack on Army convoy at Lower Munda Qazigund (NHW) on June 3, weapon snatching at the residence of Justice Attar’s Anchidoora on June 13 and attack on a police party at Achabal on June 16, in which six police personnel died.
Besides, Sharma, along with his associates, was also involved in number of five ATM looting cases in south Kashmir.
"Sharma and some of his associates in the Valley came from Patiala to Kashmir for carrying out criminal activities. Consequently, the group stayed at Wanpoh and soon got involved in different kinds of robberies including ATM looting in south Kashmir. In these crimes, they worked in conjunction with LeT," said IGP Khan.
Sharma was first arrested at in a robbery in March this year. "Consequently, he joined Bashir Lashkeri of LeT and worked as key aid. He was present in a house at Brinty, Dialgam, where the encounter took place on July 01, leading to the elimination of wanted LeT commander Lashkeri and Abu Maaz of Pakistan," he said.
Sharma, according to the police chief, used his old acquaintances and came in touch with a family at Brinty Dialgam. "With the active pursuance of his associates he became part of the over ground worker for LeT. During the encounter, he was rescued along with other members of the family by the police," he added.
During the investigation, it surfaced that Sharma along with others "provided shelter, ferried terrorists from one place to other for terror strikes and actively participating in terrorist activities".
IGP Khan said an investigation is going on for ascertaining the role of his others associates in the crimes. "Investigation so far conducted has revealed that LeT in league with criminal network is raising money by looting banks especially ATMs in south Kashmir range, besides using these networks to further terrorist activities," he added.
