Ex-Hizb terrorist on the run for 18 years held in Reasi

REASI: A former terrorist of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was arrested after being run for 18 years from Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A police spokesman said that Anwar Ali Chouhan(40), S/O Haji Nizam Din Chouhan alias Jamsheer, R/O Gujjar Kothian, Talwara, Reasi, had joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror outfit in 2001.

However, after his surrender in 2007, he “concealed his presence and was hiding himself in Kashmir and at some unknown places”.

“…he was absconding from arrest in the most wanted criminal/militancy cases of P/S Reasi, from time to time conducted so many raids at his house at Gujjar Kothian, Chinore Jammu and Kherpora Anantnag but he was not found at these locations,” said the spokesman, in a statement.

The spokesman said that they approached the court and action under section 82, 83 Cr.PC was initiated against him.

The accused was arrested on Thursday from a forest area near Gujjar Kothian, Talwara, added the spokesman.

Chouhan was wanted in two terror-related incidents, including a firing incident on January 5, 2006, in the Jadd forest, and a grenade attack at Baradari in Reasi on April 7, 2006, which killed the father of a police officer and injured four others, the spokesman said.

Chouhan’s brother Mumtaz Ali was also found involved in the attack and was arrested in 2007, he said.(Agencies)