Srinagar: Police on Tuesday said that an army man whose body was found last week in central Kashmir’s Budgam district was abducted and killed by Lashker-e-Toiba militants; in this regard three Let Militants have been identified and one OGW (Over Ground Worker) arrested.
The army man identified as Sameer Ahmad Malla of JAKLI (Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry) – a resident of Lokipora, Khag Budgam was missing since 7 March.
Three days later, the body of the trooper was recovered from Khag area.
More Read
JAK LI is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army.
As per reports, Malla was posted in Jammu region and had come home on leave as his wife had given birth to their second child recently.
“Case of death of soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla of Khag Budgam turned to be act of abduction & murder,” Police said.
“One Militant associate sic. of LeT militant outfit involved in the crime arrested. Shall soon be dealt under law,” IGP said.
"While no mark of firearm injury were found on the soldier’s body, the Inspector General of Police last week said investigators were looking into “both aspects, (militant) crime & murder,” he said.
Earlier, the deceased was taken under investigation in 2018 for driving an Indian Army officer Major Leetul Gogoi and 18-year-old local girl to a Srinagar hotel.
This incident came few months after Major Gogoi was awarded ‘Commendation Card’ for his ‘sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations’, days after he tied a civilian —Farooq Ahmad Dar— to the bonnet of his jeep and paraded him through villages on election day in 2017.
For ‘fraternising with the local woman’, Gogoi was given six months loss of seniority by the Indian Army.
(GNS)
