The Jammu and Kashmir police have detained five people, including two students, in connection with the e-mail sent in the name of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) claiming responsibility for Wednesday's blast in Delhi.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has, meanwhile, said the State government would fully cooperate with the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
After tracing the IP address, the NIA team alerted the Jammu and Kashmir police which finally traced the mail to Kishtwar town of Jammu division. Sources said the e-mail was sent from Global Cyber Café at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
The police immediately detained the owner of the café, Mohammad Aziz, his brother Khalid Aziz and manager Ashwani Kumar. “The particular computer has been sealed,” the sources said, adding that the owners feigned ignorance about who actually sent the mail since “they do not keep a record of the visitors.”
The team headed by Deputy Inspector General Doda Range Manish Sinha has got vital clues about the physical features of the person who sent the mail. Later two college students were also detained for questioning.
Director-General of Police Kuldip Khuda told The Hindu that the process of investigation had begun. “We are in touch with NIA,” he said. Mr. Khuda clarified that no formal arrest had been made so far.
In an email purportedly sent by the HuJI to a television channel, the group called for revocation of the death sentence given to Afzal Guru, who was convicted in connection with the attack on Parliament in 2001. The group warned that it would otherwise target major courts in the country.
Hotbed of militancy
Kishtwar has been the hotbed of militancy, with the Varanasi and Faizabad blasts of 2007 also tracked to militants operating there.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has condemned the blasts and said the perpetrators should be brought to book. Talking to journalists on the sidelines of a function organised to pay tributes to his grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his death anniversary, he said: “I have condemned the act through media and twitter as well. I have expressed my sympathies with the family members of those who died and those who got injured,” he said.
“The nation demands answers. It is the responsibility of those who are tasked to protect the country. They must provide answers as to who was behind this act. They should also suggest ways to prevent such attacks.”
On a possible Kashmir link to the Delhi blast, Mr. Omar Abdullah said: “I am not in a position to suggest any links. But various leads have been shared with us and we are investigating them.”
