New Delhi, March 6 – Delhi Police filed a charge sheet against Hizbul Mujahideen operative Javed Ahmed Mattoo for his alleged involvement in at least 11 terror attacks in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Mattoo a.k.a Irsad Ahmed Malla alias Ehsan (32), an A++ category terrorist, hails from Sopore of J&K’s Baramulla district and was arrested on January 4 by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in coordination with other central agencies.
In the charge sheet filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Nabeela Wali on March 3, the Delhi Police said that Mattoo is a member of a notorious gang of seven terrorists associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, operating primarily in North Kashmir, particularly Sopore.
The court has fixed March 15 for cognizance on the charge sheet.
Before his arrest, Mattoo, who was allegedly involved in five grenade attacks in the Valley, also carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for his involvement in a series of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Mattoo had been evading security agencies for the past 13 years and he was nabbed when he was in Delhi to acquire weapons at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, with plans to execute terror strikes in J&K and another location,” said a senior police officer.
Police also recovered a 9 mm Star pistol, six live cartridges, an extra magazine, and a stolen Santro car in the process.
“He is the lone surviving A++ category J&K-based terrorist. After sustaining injuries in a confrontation with security forces, he went into hiding and escaped to Nepal on the directions of the ISI, as the J&K police were actively pursuing him,” said the officer.
The officer also revealed that Mattoo was shot a decade ago by security forces during an encounter, resulting in a bullet injury and subsequent limping. “This had an impact on his ability to directly engage in attacks against security forces,” he added.
ssh/sha
