Nadia Farooq
Srinagar, July 18: On February 26, 2023, a terrorist shot and killed 50-year-old Sanjay Sharma in the morning outside his house in the Pulwama district’s hamlet of Acchan. Sanjay was a sick Kashmiri Pandit whose family had not emigrated. Sanjay was the target of four bullets from the terrorist, who was already waiting for him; three struck him and killed him. Sanjay was heading to the doctor with his wife by his side. Sanjay had already passed away by the time his wife arrived to take him to the hospital, and the medical staff had pronounced him dead.
After the inquiry was moved from the local police station to the SIA, it was reviewed, and a plan of action was created to identify not just the terrorist who shot Sanjay but also everyone who participated, helped, or enabled this specific terrorist attack.
The individuals who assisted the terrorist in fleeing after killing Sanjay have also been identified by SIA, in addition to the terrorist who shot at Sanjay. It has been established who supplied the gun and ammo as well. The SIA has also focused on the individual who harboured the terrorist after the act was committed. The driver of the car who assisted with transportation and the terrorist coordinator who made sure the terrorist arrived securely at a small group of active terrorists and made sure he became a regular member of the group have both been recognized.
On Tuesday, SIA searched eleven locations associated with several people who had, in one way or another, supported or enabled the terrorist. The SIA teams were equipped with court orders and searched these locations, which were located in Kulgam, Shopian, and Anantnag. Documents connected to bank account transactions, digital gadgets, smart phones, and other incriminating material have been confiscated and will be securitized for further investigation.
According to a senior SIA official, the organization is dedicated to uncovering the larger conspiracy, particularly those who assisted in the killer’s recruitment into a terrorist gang and the connection between the recruiter and the Pakistan-based mastermind whose instructions the local coordinator followed to plan and carry out the entire terrorist attack. SIA aims to bring them to justice and seek punishment on par with the terrorist who actually pulled the trigger since section 120 B of the IPC read with Section 18 of the UAPA dealing with criminal conspiracy, provides equal accountability for anyone who knew about part or the whole of the plot and played a role.
