Missing SPO, his associate arrested in Kupwara
Srinagar: The Personal Security Officer with a BJP activist and his ‘associate’, who had fled alongwith two weapons two days ago in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, were arrested Wednesday.
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar responded in affirmative when asked about the development.
During intervening night of December 12 and 13, Saqib Ahmad Tantry (SPO) son of Sanaullah Tantry of Bohipora, deployed as PSO with BJP activist Abdul Rashid Zargar had fled with two weapons.
Saqib’s ‘associate’ Arif Ahmad son of Bashir Ahmad Mir, also resident of Bohipora Kupwara, had also gone missing on the same day, they said.
Originally a resident of Lolab, Abdul Rashid Zargar is presently being kept along with other protected persons in PWD building at Salkoot and it is here where the duo has gone missing, the sources added.
Sources said that police had also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for providing information leading to the arrest of the duo.
Meanwhile, a police official said that the absconding SPO and his associate were arrested by Kupwara Police late Wednesday evening from Bohipora on the outskirts of Kupwara town.
The duo had decamped with two weapons from a local guard in Kupwara on the 12th of this month. The missing weapons have also been recovered, he said.
Following the incident, police started a rigorous campaign to nab the duo. Special teams were constituted by the Police to locate the absconding SPO and his associate. Search operations across the district were carried by the police and all the exit points were sealed, the official added.
Specific nakas were established at different locations. A bounty of Rs 5,00,000 was also announced for providing information about the two. Posters of the duo were pasted across the district, asking the general public to provide information, if any, about the duo, the official added.
Police also maintained special coordination with the family members, relatives and friends of the absconders, asking them to motivate the two to surrender, the official added.
With consistent pressure of Police the duo failed to connect with their handlers, they couldn’t sustain the mounting pressure leading to the arrest by the police, the official added.
