Police ‘framing’ our brother in Amarnath Yatra attack case, says family
The family of Bilal Ahmad Reshi, one of the accused in the Amarnath Yatra attack have accused the police of framing their son in a false case.
Bilal Ahmad Reshi son of Mushtaq Ahmad Reshie of Iqbal Mohalla Bijbehara was arrested by police on 28 July on charges of being involved in the Amarnath Yatra Attack.
Pertinently, eight Amarnath pilgrims were killed while 18 others including three policemen were injured after suspected LeT militants attacked a yatri bus and a police party in Anantnag along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway in South Kashmir on July 10.
Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had during its preliminary investigations revealed that they have got some leads into the attack and the attackers will be identified soon.
On August 6th, police said that the alleged conspirators in the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims, have been arrested by its Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The men provided logistical help to four Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militants who carried out the attack that left eight people dead, IGP Munir Khan told the media.
The men, who had allegedly helped the four terrorists by providing them with vehicles and shelter, were arrested recently and taken into remand for further questioning, the police said.
The police said the four LeT militants, led by Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, had attempted an attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 9, but were frustrated by heavy security arrangements.
The police said that three “co-conspirators” — Bilal Ahmed Reshi, Aizaj Wagey and Zahoor Ahmed — had carried out reconnaissance exercises and chosen Botengo near Khanbal as the spot where the attack could be carried out, the police added.
The trio had also provided shelter to the four militants in Khudwani and Sriguffwara of South Kashmir, Khan said.
Bilal’s elder brother Adil, an alleged Lashker-e-Taiba militant, was killed by security forces earlier this year.
Shahim Ahmad Reshi, Bilal Reshi’s brother said that police and forces are continuously harassing Bilal in custody.
“Police claimed that he carried out reconnaissance for the attack. How is that possible since Bilal spends most of his time managing his business. He runs a shop near Batingoo and on the day the attack was carried out he was at his shop for the entire day,” Bilal said.
“We have already lost a family member and Bilal is busy managing the family business and his two kids,” added Shamim.
Shamim said that on 28th July, Station House Officer Bijbehara called him to report in the police station.
“I too went along my brother to the police station. The officials told us that we have been informed by higher officers to call Bilal for questioning. He was detained there and nobody from the family was allowed to meet him for eight days,” says Shamim.
“Bilal was in JIC Khanabal for about a week and now he is in Saderthana Anantnag on remand,” he adds.
Shamim says before this he was arrested twice on stone pelting charges and was framed in another case involving an attack on Dysp Irshad.
KV Correspondent
