A court in Kupwara remanded two BJP workers and two PSOs to police remand for seven days on Monday, as the investigation into the firing incident in Gulgam, Kupwara on Friday revealed a failed attempt by men from the saffron party to get their security enhanced as well as attract “more focus” from the party leadership.
So far, four people have been arrested, including Ishfaq Ahmad Mir, who was said to have been injured in the incident. His father, Mohammad Shafi, is the BJP’s district president in Kupwara, and he has already been suspended by the party as a result of the gaffe. Ishfaq was injured in a misfire from his PSOs near Gulgam on July 16 night, according to police.
“They tried to pass the incident off as a militant attack in a Bollywood-style conspiracy to get the security enhanced as well as get the added attraction from the party,” a police officer familiar with the investigation told Kashmir-based news agency GNS. The officer claimed that the injury was “stage-managed.”
In addition to Ishfaq, the police have detained Basharat Ahmad Mir, the BJP’s Kupwara spokesman, in connection with the “conspiracy.”
Apart from them, two PSOs, Riyaz Ahmed Khan of Awoora Kupwara and Mohammad Irfan of Haihama Kupwara, were arrested in the FIR (no 251/2021, under section 307 IPC, 7/27A Act at police station Kupwara.
Officials said that all of the arrested people were brought before Sub Judge Kupwara, who remanded them in police custody for seven days. Both PSOs have been put on hold.
In a related development, the BJP has suspended District President Mohammad Shafi of Kupwara.
“The incident in Kupwara on the night of July 16th, in which Ishfaq Ahmad Mir, son of Mohammad Shafi (Kupwara District President), was involved. In a letter to G M Mir, Spokesperson, Priya Sethi (UT state Office Prabhari) said, “Some reports received from various sources made us doubt the credibility of our workers.”
A copy of the letter was sent to Mohammad Shafi Mir, as well as Ravinder Raina (BJP J&K State President) and Ashok Koul (BJP J&K State General Secretary (Org).
G M Mir, the party’s spokesperson, has been appointed to investigate the incident and report back to the party by July 25. Till Than Shafi has been suspended, and Anwar Khan, dubbed “District Prabhari,” has been tasked with investigating the affairs of the Kupwara district.
The Chenab Times News Desk