A court in Jammu on Monday allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to custody two Kashmiri men, who arrested three Pakistani militants involved in the murder of 25 tourists and a local person in Pahgam on Sunday to provide shelter, food and other logical support to three Pakistani militants involved in the murder of 25 tourists and a local person.
Pahalgam residents Parviz Ahmed Jothar and Bashir Ahmed Jothar were identified, the arrest of both people marked the first major success in the investigation into the terror attack, resulting in tension and firing between India and Pakistan.
According to the NIA, both people deliberately gave shelter to the terrorists before the Pahgam attack. Nia said that the terrorists were allegedly placed in a dhok – during the summer months in highland pastures – in the Hill Park in Pahgam, shelter was used.
The arrested people were produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ritesh Kumar Dubey in Jammu and sent to NIA custody for five days till 27 June.
An NIA spokesperson said on Sunday that during interrogation, two people “revealed the identity of three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and also confirmed that they were Pakistani citizens who were associated with the accused terrorist terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toba”. It was previously believed that the attack was carried out from two people of Pakistan and one Kashmir. Three sketches were also issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. However, sources in the central agency say that three people in the sketch are not the Pahalgam attacker.
Before the NIA arrested both the locals to allegedly shelter the attackers, the agency questioned more than 200 people, including pony operators, shopkeepers and photographers. “There was a common friend with a pony operator of Parviz, and his wives shared the visiting details at their home,” said a source.
The NIA believes that the three attackers came to their homes late in the evening on 20 April and asked them to pack food. Before leaving, they gave them some money and threatened not to tell them to anyone.
,
