NIA summons J-K Cong vice president GM Saroori over Kishtwar terror cases

Mohammad Amin Bhat, alias Jehangir Saroori, is the longest surviving militant commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen. He had joined militancy in 1992.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday summoned senior leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Ghulam Mohammad Saroori to respond to certain queries in connection with terror cases in Kishtwar.

“Around a week ago some NIA officials visited the residence of GM Saroori and delivered a notice asking him to appear before the NIA for sharing information about various terror cases in Kishtwar and about Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Jehangir Saroori, the longest surviving militant in Doda region,” said official sources.

He has been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters on Tuesday.

Mohammad Amin Bhat, alias Jehangir Saroori, is the longest surviving militant commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen. He had joined militancy in 1992.

In October last year, Jammu and Kashmir Police had put up posters of Jehangir Saroori in Kishtwar region and has also announced a cash award of ₹30 lakhs on information leading to his arrest.

GM Saroori, a close confidante of leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, was a three time MLA of the Congress from Inderwal assembly constituency and former PWD minister.

In 2010 Saroori was asked to tender his resignation to then chief minister Omar Abdullah in the wake of a controversy over alleged impersonation of his daughter during a medical entrance exam. He had allegedly hired a female impersonator Shruti Gaur of Mathura to appear on behalf of her daughter Huma Tabassum, who had failed to qualify for a medical college of her choice in 2009.

Sources confided to Hindustan Times that GM Saroori was summoned to appear before the NIA to respond to certain queries that could provide missing links in terror cases that happened in Kishtwar region since 2018.

Terrorism re-surfaced in the region after senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar were killed outside their house in Kishtwar on November 1, 2018.

Next year RSS leader Chandrakant Sharma and his security guard Rajinder Kumar were killed in Kishtwar district hospital on April 9.

Saroori is the state Congress vice president.

In October last year, a dozen persons, including Mohammad Shafi Saroori, brother of G M Saroori, were booked in two separate FIRs for their alleged links with Hizbul Mujahideen.

Similarly, Saroori’s name had allegedly cropped up in a case regarding violence and arson that took place on August 9, 2013 in Kishtwar.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “Summons were issued a week back seeking his appearance and they were duly received (by him). He has been asked to appear (before NIA) probably tomorrow (Tuesday). Though he is out of station, he is coming tomorrow.”

Mir further said, “Saroori would be the apt person to respond to it but as we say that Congress firmly believes in law of the land but it should not be politically motivated because we are seeing in the country that how opposition is being stifled. If it is not politically motivated and if there’s some involvement and NIA has something (against Saroori) then law will take its own course”.