Srinagar, Oct 27: Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a Kashmir Pandit activist in Haryana’s Faridabad over his alleged involvement in sending terrorist threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an NDTV report.
According to the report, the accused, identified as Rakesh Handoo, has been charged under the stringent anti-terrorist and cyber-terror charges.
“Police have got substantial and serious clues about his involvement. He has been booked under UAPA,” said Sujit Kumar, Inspector General of Police.
Couple of months back, in August, panic gripped Kashmir Pandit employees in Kashmir after purported threat letters against some employees with their names and contact details were circulated.
Following threats and safety concerns of Pandit employees, hundreds of employees appointed under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri Pandits were sent on administrative leave and asked to stay away from duties for almost three weeks.
According to the grounds of arrest served to Handoos’ wife on October 17, police have said that the accused has been arrested for a non-bailable offence, NDTV reported. Initially, he was asked to appear before the police in Baramulla on September 26 after an FIR was registered on September 21. Sources say despite repeated summons, Handoo failed to appear before police.
On October 17, a police team from Baramulla arrested him from Greater Fraidabad in Haryana.
Handoo, a pandit activist had unsuccessfully contested the 2008 Assembly elections against National Conference President Farooq Abdullah from the Hazratbal constituency in Srinagar.
Kashmiri Pandit leader Sanjay Saraf has termed the arrest as unfortunate and demanded that charges against Handoo are reviewed.
“He was arrested from his Faridabad residence. It’s not good for the community which has suffered due to terrorism, and now a community activist has been booked under cyber terrorism,” said Saraf, Lok Janshakti Party leader.
Around 6,000 Kashmiri Pandits have been given government jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment package rolled out in 2010. It was aimed at facilitating the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits displaced from their homeland after the outbreak of the secessionist movement in 1990.
