Sanjha Morcha

Major called for questioning over recovery of grenades

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 4

The J&K Police have called a Major named by the soldier, who was detained on Monday after the recovery of two grenades from his luggage, and is also looking for two persons for questioning.Police sources said Bhupal Mukhia of 17 JAK Rifles, who was arrested from Srinagar airport told the investigators that the packet in which the grenades were concealed was given to him by a soldier at a transit camp at Badamibagh.“A jawan handed over the well-concealed packet to me saying that ‘Major Sahib’ from his unit had directed him to hand it over and deliver it in Delhi,” the sources said.“After the disclosure, we have also called the Major for questioning. We are also looking for the sepoy who handed over the packet and another person who called Bhupal over phone to inquire about the packet (grenades) which were to be delivered in Delhi,” they said, adding that they were cross-checking all claims made by the jawan.“For now, it looks that the Army jawan from whom the grenades were recovered was not aware what was concealed inside,” they said.The Major, who is currently in Jammu will be joining the police investigation in a day or two, the sources said.The police are also trying to find how and from where the grenades were procured.Bhupal serves near the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Kashmir and was to board a Delhi- bound flight before the anti-hijacking wing at the airport detained him after the recovery of the two grenades concealed in the luggage.The Army had initially told the investigators that the grenades were “drill items”.The Army, which has assured action as per the law, has also ruled out that there was any hijacking angle.“After preliminary investigation, it is clarified that it is a case of carriage of grenade and there is no hijacking angle to the incident,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said on Monday