On September 28 last year, police had registered a case against Adil Bashir Sheikh, who was deployed as SPO at the official residence of Mir in Srinagar for decamping with seven AK rifles along with a pistol and ammunition. (Representational)The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet in the court in Jammu Thursday against SPO-turned-militant Adil Bashir Sheikh and his accomplice Rafique Ahmad Bhat in connection with the theft of weapons from the house of PDP’s ex-MLA Wachi Aijaz Ahmad Mir last year.
Stating that Adil is still absconding, the chargesheet pointed out that two other accused in the case, Yawar Ahmad Dar and Abid Manzoor Magray alias Sajju were killed in encounters with security forces last month. Filed under various provisions of Ranbir Penal Code, UA(P) Act and Arms Act, it also pointed out that further investigations in respect to other accused including Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo were in progress.
On September 28 last year, police had registered a case against Adil Bashir Sheikh, who was deployed as SPO at the official residence of Mir in Srinagar for decamping with seven AK rifles along with a pistol and ammunition. Later, the case was taken over by NIA.
During the investigation, NIA arrested Rafique Ahmad Bhat s/o Mohd. Ashraf Bhat of Achan, Pulwama, on December 10. It was revealed that SPO Adil Bashir Sheikh of Zainapora along with Yawar Ahmad Dar of Thokarpora and Rafique Ahmad Bhat had conspired with Abid Manzoor Magray alias Sajju of Nowpora, Pulwama, an active terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen, to steal arms and ammunition for distributing these among active cadres and recruits of the militant outfit so as to further their terror activities.
Accordingly, Sheikh, Dar and Bhat stole the weapons from the government quarter allotted to former PDP MLA on September 28, while he was away and his security guards had gone to their houses leaving the weapons behind. SPO Adil Bashir Sheikh entered the house on the pretext of cleaning it while the other two waited outside in a Maruti Alto car, the charge sheet revealed.
Thereafter, they decamped with the weapons and ammunition and fled towards village Achan and hid the weapons in a field. After committing the instant offence, all the three joined the militant ranks of Hizbul Mujahideen, it said. During the investigation, the role of Syed Naveed Babu of Nazneenpora, Shopian and HM Commander Riyaz Naikoo alias Mohammad Bin Qasim also emerged in the case, for radicalising and training the outfit’ terrorists including Adil Bashir Sheikh, Yawar Ahmad Dar and Rafique Ahmad Bhat, it added.
