One more accused arrested by NIA in Pulwama attack case

Srinagar, Jul 7: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one more person connection with Pulwama attack that left 40 CRPF jawans dead on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in February 2019, official sources said here on Tuesday.
With his arrest, seven people have been apprehended by the investigation agency in the case.
They said in the continuing investigation of the Pulwama attack case in which 40 CRPF personnel were martyred in an IED blast on February 14, 2019, NIA arrested one more accused, identified as Bilal Ahmed Kuchey, a resident of Hajibal, Kakapora in Pulwama July 5.
They said Kuchey, who runs a sawmill near his residence, is a militant associate. “The accused harboured and extended logistic support to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants involved in the Pulwama attack,” they said.
“The main perpetrators in the case stayed in his house and he further introduced them to other Over Ground Workers (OGWs), who provided safe houses during their stay and planning of the attack,” they said.
They said the accused provided the JeM militants with high-end mobile phones, which were used by them to communicate with the Pakistan-based JeM leadership as well as among themselves for giving final touches to their planning and for execution of the attack. “Further, mobile phone provided by him was also used for recording the video clip of Fidayeen Adil Ahmed Dar, which became viral after the attack,” they said.
They said Kuchey was produced on July 6 before NIA Special Court, which granted ten days remand to the agency for interrogation. “This is the seventh arrest made by NIA in this case so far,” they said, adding investigation in this case is in progress.