Lucknow: The two Kashmiri youths picked up by the UP ATS from Saharanpur’s Deoband town are reported to have confessed to their links with the terror outfit – JeM, sources claim.
The sources also claim the two arrested youths Shahnawaz Teli and Abdul Aqib Mallick have admitted having been in touch with Pulwama attack mastermind Abdul Rasheed Ghazi who was killed in an encounter with the security forces five days after the CRPF convoy was attacked on February 14.
The investigators working on the case have also claimed that they have obtained the voice messages from the cellphone of one of the two youths in which one of the them is heard talking about some “bada kaam” (something big) and “samaan” (goods), apparently related to the Pulwama incident.
The Director General of Police OP Singh has interrogated the two accused spending four hours of time which, the sources claim has yielded the accused confessions.
The UP Police chief then exchanged the received information with his Jammu & Kashmir counterpart Dilbagh Singh.
“They have confessed to their links with JeM in front of me and have given some specific information based on which we are hopeful of some more recoveries in the near future,” DGP Singh told TOI.
“During interrogation, Shahnawaz said he had been in touch with terror outfits for 18 months while Aqib came into the scene six months ago,” said inspector general of police, ATS, Asim Arun.
The official added, accused Shahnawaz has admitted having been in touch with Ghazi and the duo had also contacted some top commanders of JeM and joined the group on their insistence.
“Some chats retrieved from the mobile phones of the two have voice messages saying ‘kuch karna hai jaldi’ (have to do something soon). They also mention names of some places where weapons were possibly to be taken. But it is yet to be established,” said the IG.
The official added the two accused used BBM to exchange messages and virtual numbers for talking to conceal the identity of those communicating.
According to the police, accused Shahnawaz has completed BA first year and a computer course, while Aqib has passed class XII.