Srinagar, Sep 28: Three persons, including a serving Army soldier, have been arrested in connection with the shooting that left a 30-year-old Mumbai woman dead and two others injured inside a physiotherapy centre in Jammu’s Sainik Colony on August 21.
The arrests have been made by the J&K Crime Branch and more arrests are on the cards.
“Three persons have been arrested so far, including a serving Army soldier. Further arrests are likely as we are probing the role of others involved in the murder of the woman,” senior officials in J&K Police said. “We also recovered the weapon of offence.”
Officials said that the Army has been cooperating with the investigation.
Singh and two others are currently in the custody of the Crime Branch and are being interrogated.
The arrested soldier has been identified as Naik Sher Singh of Hisar, Haryana, who was posted at the Movement Control Office (MCO) at Jammu Tawi Railway Station.
Singh is accused of opening fire inside the clinic in what officials termed a “personal rage-driven attack”.
The deceased woman was identified as Mehajbeen Akil Sheikh of Malad, Mumbai.
She succumbed to her injuries on August 29 at Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu, eight days after the shooting.
Her younger sister, Fatima Akil, 21, and Jaspreet Kour, 28, from Ludhiana, were also critically injured in the attack but survived.
Initial reports said that the women were injured in a road accident in Bari Brahmana, as narrated by two men managing the physiotherapy centre.
The case was later transferred to the J&K Crime Branch.
The subsequent investigations by the Crime Branch revealed that they were victims of a targeted shooting and that critical time was lost due to the mishandling of the case by the local Police.
Sources in the Crime Branch said Singh allegedly fired eight rounds from a pistol, though it was still under investigation whether the weapon used was his official service firearm or a personal one.
The weapon of offence has been recovered, and forensic analysis is underway.
Officials said Singh allegedly opened fire in a fit of rage, indiscriminately shooting the three women present at the clinic.
Earlier, in a shake-up, three Police officers involved in the initial investigation were suspended for gross negligence and possible attempts to mislead the probe.
“We have taken serious note of the way the initial investigation was conducted. Misleading the medical team and misrepresenting the incident as a road accident delayed crucial medical and legal procedures,” senior Police officials said. “The negligence displayed by the Police officers has not only compromised the integrity of the investigation but could have resulted in a miscarriage of justice. All those responsible will be held accountable.”
Initially, an inquest was launched based on the fabricated accident narrative.
The injured victims were declared “unfit for statement” at the time.
However, as their medical condition improved and forensic evidence contradicted the accident theory, a formal First Information Report (FIR) was registered on September 18, converting the case into one of murder and attempted murder.
The case was then transferred to the J&K Crime Branch, which formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe both the shooting and the apparent cover-up by the initial Police responders.
Mehajbeen’s family, who travelled from Mumbai to Jammu following the attack, expressed deep anguish over the delay in justice.
“Our daughter was bleeding and fighting for her life, while officials were claiming it was a road accident. We demand strict punishment for everyone involved, not just the killer, but also those who tried to hide the truth,” said a family member.
