Jammu, Mar 7: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested the youth who threw grenade at Jammu bus stand earlier in thre day.
One person died and over thirty others were injured in the blast that took place at 11:45 am.
DGP, Jammu and Kashmir Dilbag Singh, according to news agency ANI, said that the grenade thrower was arrested within hours of the blast.
Later, police claimed that the youth arrested is a Hizbul Mujahideen operative and had reached Jammu from Kulgam Thursday morning. Police say they identified him using CCTV footage.
“Camera footage was examined and based on oral testimony of witnesses we were able to identify a suspect. He was wearing jeans and a red rucksack. We were on lookout for anyone matching the description. The accused was arrested and he confessed to his crime,” said IGP Jammu, Manish K Sinha during a press conference.
The IGP identified the arrested person as Yaseen Javaid Bhat son of Javaid Ahmed Bhat, of Khanpora, Dachin, in south Kashmir’s Kulgam.
“During the interrogation, he accepted the crime and revealed that he was tasked to lob a grenade by Hizbul Mujahideen commander for Kulgam district Farooq Ahmed Bhat alias Umar,” the IGP said.
“Yaseen had reached Jammu today morning and was planning to flee back,” he said.
The police said the grenade was under a bus at a bus stand in the heart of the city. Most of the injured, an officer said, are bus drivers and conductors. It is unclear if there were people inside the bus.
Sinha told reporters that the grenade probably rolled under a parked bus before it went off around 11.30 a.m.
Visuals from the spot showed security personnel barricading the area as locals rushed in. “I thought it was a tyre burst. It was a big blast. The locals took the injured to the hospital in an ambulance,” an eyewitness told news agency ANI.
Guv condemns, announces ex-gratia
Jammu, Mar 7: Governor Satya Pal Malik has strongly condemned a grenade attack at the Bus Stand in Jammu district.
In a message, Governor has expressed deep shock and anguish on the attack at Jammu bus stand in which a person lost his life and several others were injured. He has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and also wished speedy recovery to those injured.
Governor has directed the Administration to provide best medical assistance to the injured in the attack and called upon all the concerned agencies to ensure that those responsible for this dreadful act are brought to justice and law and order is maintained in the State.
Governor announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs. 20,000 each to those injured in the accident.
Attacking unarmed civilians most reproachful: Joint Hurriyat
Srinagar, Mar 7: Joint Hurriyat leadership Thursday condemned the grenade blast at Jammu bus stand that left a person dead and over two dozen injured.
In a statement, the Joint Hurriyat said that attacks on unarmed civilians are the most reproachful act which should be condemned by all civilized humans.
“While praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in today’s blast, the leadership said that our hearts go to those families whose kith and kin have lost their lives or got injuries in this blast and we express our solidarity with these families,” the statement read.
Hizb blames ‘agencies’
Srinagar, Mar 7: Militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen on Thursday condemned the blast at Jammu that left one person dead and over two dozen people injured.
In a tele-statement to Kashmir News Agency, Hizb Operational Spokesman Burhan-u-Din said that Hizb Chief Syed Salahudin, Deputy Chief Saifullah Khalid and field Operational Commander Mohammad Bin Qasim have condemned the Jammu blast.
The blast occurred Thursday morning at Jammu near Bus stand.
“Burhan-u-Din blamed Indian agencies for the attack, saying “they (Indian agencies) are defaming the sacred freedom struggle in Kashmir by resorting to such kind of actions on innocent people,” KNS reported. (KNS)
