Family of alleged TRF militant arrested in Jammu claim he is innocent

Two days after police claimed he was a top militant of TRF group, the family members of Zahoor Ahmad Rather on Monday staged a protest in Srinagar, asserting that he was innocent and had nothing to do with militancy.

The family members of Rather, who had travelled all the way from their Anantnag district, staged a protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar, said that Zahoor, who had surrendered in 2006, was taken away from the rented accommodation in Samba in Jammu division where he was putting up with his wife and two children on midnight of February 13.

Meena, Zahoor’s sister, said that they had approached the local police in Anantnag for her brother’s whereabouts, but to no avail.

As per Meena, Zahoor was into the dry fruit business to sustain himself and the family.

She alleged that Zahoor was “being implicated and has nothing to do with militancy after he surrendered in 2006,” as per news agency GNS.

Vouching for her brother’s innocence, Meena said, he is suffering from various ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes and has had an eye surgery as well.

Police on Saturday claimed that Zahoor is a top TRF militant and was arrested from Samba district of Jammu following a tip-off.

Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar had on Saturday said that a team of Police from Anantnag arrested Zahoor alias Sahil alias Khalid of TRF on the intervening night of February 12 and 13.

He said that Zahoor was hiding in Samba and was arrested following specific information by Anantnag police.

The Resistance Front (TRF) is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit, the IGP maintained.

Police accused Rather of being involved in the killing of three BJP workers in Kulgam last year and one policeman at Furra in the south Kashmir district. (GNS)