Two extortionists posing as Hizb militants were arrested by police for extorting Rs 32,000 from a Dotor’s family in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. According to police the involvement of an Army man in the crime cannot be ruled out.The arrests were made after Dr Bilal Ahmed Beigh a resident of Khrewan Lasipora Kulgam registered a complaint that gunmen barged into his house in his absence and they not only harassed his sister and her husband but also looted Rs 32,000 from the house.“I was out of station when on Sunday evening my sister informed me about the incident. Two men carrying an AK-47 rifle barged into my house and enquired about me from my sister who was present in the house with her husband. These gunmen after ransacking the house demanded money from my sister who is working in a hospital. The gunmen posed as Hizb militants informed my sister that they have been deputed to collect money from affluent people. In a bid to save themselves from the wrath of these gunmen, my sister handed over Rs 32,000 to them,” Dr Beigh told CNS adding that shortly after the incident he informed the police.
Dr Bilal Ahmed Beigh said that next day her sister identified one of the extortionists when he had arrived with a patient at Emergency Hospital Qazigund. “Police swung into action and the extortionist was nabbed and identified as Muzafar Ahmed Bhat a resident of Nasu Bhadragund Qazigund. On his identification his associate and neighbour Nisar Ahmed Bhat was also arrested by police. Shortly after these arrests, one of my neighbour Muhammad Yousuf Teli who works in Army’s Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Division (JAKLI) and is posted at Larkipora Anantnag arrived at my home along with some of his family members. Teli while agreeing to pay the looted money back to me confessed that his Muzaffar and Nisar used his service gun for the crime. When I refused to withdraw the complaint, he surrendered before the police,” Beigh said.Confirming the incident, a police official on condition of anonymity told CNS that an FIR vide number 303/2015 under section 452, 386 has already been registered in this regard. “We have arrested two culprits Nisar Bhat and Muzafar Bhat both residents of Nasu Bhadragund Qazigund and the role of army man Yousuf Teli is being investigated. Investigation is going on whether they used any weapon for the crime or not and if so where from they got this weapon,” he said. (CNS)