Davinder Singh case: NIA arrests man who supplied arms to Hizb terrorists

<p id="content">The National Investigation Agency (NIA) yesterday arrested one accused from Jammu & Kashmir's Budgam, who played a key role in supplying arms and ammunition to one of the arrested accused in the case of suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Naveed Babu, officials said.</p>
An NIA official related to the probe told IANS, "The agency arrested Tafazul Hussain Parimoo in connection with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu case."

The official said that Parimoo played a key role in supplying arms and ammunition to accused Tariq Mir, an ex-sarpanch of Maldera in Shopian, who further supplied them to Hizbul terrorists in Shopian.

The arrest comes almost 18 days after the NIA carried out searches at several locations in Jammu & Kashmir in connection with the case.

Mir was arrested by NIA on April 29 this year for his role in smuggling and supply of weapons to Hizbul terrorists.

Suspended police officer Davinder Singh is lodged in Kathua jail at Hiranagar in the Jammu division. He was arrested by the police on January 11 on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway while transporting two Hizb terrorists — Naveed Babu and Rafi Ahmad Rather — and a law school dropout Irfan Shafi Mir to Jammu.

After the arrest of Singh, initial investigations were done by the J&K Police before the case was handed over to the NIA. Police had said that the two terrorists and the lawyer had planned to travel to Pakistan.

The NIA had earlier claimed that its probe revealed that the accused were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the Hizbul and Pakistan to commit violent acts and to wage war against India.

"The investigation has revealed that Pakistan-based leadership of the Hizbul, namely Syed Salahuddin, Amir Khan, Khursheed Alam, Nazar Mehmood, and others, along with the Pakistani establishment is extending support to the cadres and commanders of the terror outfit based in Jammu & Kashmir," the NIA had said in a statement last month.

"The probe also revealed that accused Irfan Shafi Mir alias 'Advocate' not only met Hizb leadership in Pakistan but also met Umar Cheema, Ahshan Chaudhary, Sohail Abbas, and others of the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan. He was tasked to identify and activate the new 'hawala' channels for the transfer of money to sustain terror activities in the Kashmir Valley," an NIA spokesperson had said earlier.

The NIA had also claimed that its investigation revealed that certain officials of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were in constant touch with Irfan Shafi Mir alias 'Advocate', who was provided with funds to organize seminars in Jammu & Kashmir to mobilize the masses against the government of India.

Irfan Shafi Mir allegedly used to receive instructions and money from the Pakistan High Commission, and he facilitated the visa applications of a number of Kashmiris for their Pakistan visits.

Even Davinder Singh was said to be in touch with certain Pakistan High Commission officials through secure social media platforms.

Investigation revealed that he was "being groomed by the Pakistani officials for obtaining sensitive information". Singh was posted with the anti-hijacking wing of the Jammu & Kashmir Police in Srinagar and was part of the security staff that had received a group of foreign diplomats who visited Kashmir, the NIA had said..