JOIN USPakistani militants use rented accommodations in Srinagar: Sources
After Jammu and Kashmir police’s recent order that properties of people providing shelter to militants will be attached under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), terrorist handlers are now focusing on rented accommodations, sources told DH.
They said as some of the Pakistani militants operating in Kashmir have been able to acquire Aadhaar Cards to camouflage their identity, it becomes easier for them to hide in these rented accommodations, especially in Srinagar city.
“In Srinagar city, people are reluctant to provide shelter to militants. Now their handlers have managed to get some accommodations on rent. And with over ground workers' (OGWs) network at their (militants) back, it becomes difficult for police and security forces to track them in the city,” sources revealed.
“Eight to ten Pakistani militants operating in Srinagar and its outskirts have managed to acquire Aadhar Cards. Their handlers have cleverly mentioned Rajouri, Poonch and addresses of places where people don’t speak Kashmiri. Some of these Pakistani militants even roam freely with the support of their OGWs,” they added.
Earlier in February, the police had asked landlords in Srinagar to do verification of tenants before giving any premises or room on rent. Thousands of people, both locals as well as non-locals, reside in Srinagar in rented accommodations.
A senior police officer said that despite landlords reporting about their tenants in the concerned police stations, it was difficult to ascertain who among them is a militant. “When any tenant produces an Aadhar Card, it is difficult for the police to ascertain whether he is a militant or not. Over three lakh people are living in rented accommodations in the city and it is a Herculean task to find out a few terrorists among them,” he said.
The officer revealed that with even foreign terrorists managing to get Aadhar Cards it becomes difficult to ascertain the identity of the persons during routine checking, encounter or search operations when they show their identity documents.
The outgoing General-officer-Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15-Corps, Lieutenant General Deepak Pandey had recently said that sometimes at the encounter spot, a person comes out with a valid Aadhaar Card and it was a difficult situation for the security forces.
The misuse of the biometric ID came to light following the killing of two Pakistani militants in Bishembhar Nagar, adjacent to the Dal Lake, in Srinagar, last month. The Aadhar Cards recovered from the slain militants had Jammu addresses.