Srinagar, Dec 5: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Friday conducted a raid in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and at the Batamaloo residence of an air-conditioning technician who was earlier arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast case, as investigators widen the probe into alleged weapon supply links and suspected associations with suicide bomber Dr Umar Farooq, officials said.
A team of SIA officials carried out a thorough search at the residence of Tufail Niyaz Bhat, Son of Niyaz Bhat a resident of Diyarwani Batamaloo, Srinagar, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Red Fort blast case as part of follow-up investigations to trace the broader network involved in the case, officials said.
The AC technician had already been taken into custody earlier in the investigation for his suspected role in providing a riffle. The fresh raid was conducted to collect additional evidence and identify possible contacts linked to the terror module.
Sources told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that investigators are now focusing on tracing the weapon supply chain and identifying facilitators who may have provided shelter, transport or technical assistance.
“Bhat is suspected to be the possible provider of an AK-47 rifle that was recovered earlier from a locker assigned to Dr Adeel Ahmad at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag. Dr Adeel is already in the custody of the NIA as a primary accused in the case,” the sources familiar with the investigation told Kashmir Dot Com.
Simultaneously, another raid was also conducted in the house of Zameer Ahangar at Wakoora in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in connection with the same investigation, officials confirmed.
The SIA has intensified its investigation across multiple locations, and further searches and arrests cannot be ruled out as the probe progresses, officials added.
