Srinagar, Sept 22: The First Information Report (FIR) against the arrested Deputy Superintendent of Police Sheikh Adil Mushtaq, reveals that the officer allegedly took money to drop certain charges in a “terror funding case”.
DSP Sheikh is also accused of attempting to implicate a police officer who was investigating the terror operative Muzamil Zahoor, who was arrested in July from Srinagar.
The police has constituted a five member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a Superintendent of Police, South City to probe the high profile case.
According to the FIR, the seized mobile phone along with SIM of Muzamil was sent to Director General CERT-IN New Delhi on July 22 for expert opinion which revealed chats on telegram App between Muzamil and another telegram account, the ID of which was traced to the mobile number of Dy SP Sheikh Adil -the initial IO of the instant case.
“The chats among the two have been effected between 07.07.2023 to 19.07.2023 (the day of arrest of Muzamil ). Further, the CERT-IN report reveals that during the period Dy SP Sheikh Adil has actively guided Muzamil Zahoor to file a false and frivolous complaint against the Police Officers who were involved in the investigation of the case, in order to save Muzamil Zahoor from the rigor of law and also to create a manipulative cover in hiding the criminal complicity of DY SP Sheikh Adil for his wrongdoings that have surfaced during the investigation.
The incriminating telegram communication between Muzamil Zahoor and Dy SP Sheikh Adil has been retrieved….,” the FIR read.
According to FIR, the story began on February 7, 2023, when a naka post of Police Station Nowgam arrested a trio identified as Umar Adil Dar of Soiteng, Bilal Ahmad Sidiqi of Kursoo, Rajbagh and Salik Mehraj of Soiteng. The recoveries included Rs 31, 65, 200 cash, a cell phone and three pages pertaining to banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. The trio offered no plausible explanation for the recoveries.
However, during preliminary questioning it came to fore that the trio were working as OGWs, of banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and the money was received by them as a part of conspiracy to strengthen and funding of its cadres within District Srinagar.
“The said money was received by them on the directions of their handlers based in Pakistan as a part of larger criminal conspiracy hatched by terrorist organization within and across the border in the UT of J & K,” the report said.
Consequently, a case FIR No.20/2023 U/S 120 B, 121, 121 A-IPC, 13,18,39, 40 ULA (P) Act was registered in Police Station Nowgam and investigation was entrusted to the then IO Dy SP Sheikh Adil.
During the investigation, the accused Umar Adil Dar in his disclosure statement stated that he was earlier working with Hurriyat (G) a secessionist organization and after abrogation of 370, he was approached by an unknown person through which he got in touch with a Pakistani Handler Col Yasir and one Aijaz Rehmani (Kashmir based separatist leader sitting in Pakistan).
“On instructions of Rehmani, he received an amount of 25 lacs from an unknown person at Wanpoh filling station, Kulgam. Later he distributed 10 Lac to Bilal, 10 to one Zamrooda and 5 Lac to one Yasmin for the purpose of strengthening the LeT cadre in Srinagar,” the report said.
It added that when the names of the two ladies came explicitly in the disclosure of Umer Dar, among which one had received 10,00,000 terror money, the IO, Sheikh Adil ought to have arrested the duo ladies straight away rather than for going for the search after a period of one month of the disclosure, as there were reasonable grounds available for arrest.
“It is obvious that the moment accused Umer Adil Dar was arrested, the duo ladies would have already been alerted and wiped out whatever incriminating evidence was available with them. The Dy SP Sheikh Adil conducted the investigation of the case upto 11.03.2023, the day he was relieved from Pantha Chowk and the investigation was taken over by DSP Sumit Sharma,” the report read.
Police during the investigation arrested one LeT operative Muzamil Zahoor on July 19 from a Srinagar hotel. He had managed to open an account in a bank in Sopore in the name of Sheikh Inamul Haq by using his photograph and other documents.
“The documents revealed that Muzamil had received Rs 5 lakh into the account from Dar as terror money.
After Zahoor's arrest, the Investigating Officer in presence of Executive Magistrate 1st Class Pantha Chowk, and Police Witness SI Javed recorded his disclosure statement.
According to his statement, Zahoor was tasked to utilize the credited amount for the release of Umar Adil Dar or for limiting investigation, by approaching the investigating Officer.
“.. I went to office of the then SDPO Panthachowk (Adil Mushtaq) for release of accused Umar Dar who informed that it is difficult as he is involved in UAPA case and that he cannot be released immediately, but the officer informed that he will help them by keeping the investigation limited and demanded money for the same. I paid him 2.73 lakh rupees near VMS Pharma during day time besides the police officer told me to remain underground for a couple of months,” he claimed in his statement.
“When I came to know that police is looking for my PNB bank account which was opened by me fraudulently for illegal transactions. I got apprehensive on hearing about this development and immediately contacted Dy. SP. Adil Mushtaq (then SDPO Panthachowk) who was posted somewhere else by that time and after discussion on chat, he advised me and guided me in drafting the contents of this frivolous complaint against SHO Nowgam on telegram chat.
Also he guided me in recording a video clip so as to save himself, me and others. I recorded and sent this clip to him. Eventually the frivolous complaint was filed in the court of law in Srinagar and I was told/advised by Dy. SP. Adil Mushtaq to remain under ground for some more time till court order on that complaint comes, however, Police arrested me from Hotel Foot Hill, Sonwar Srinagar where I was hiding,” he said in his statement.
