Man involved in terror attack on CRPF convoy in Banihal confesses to his crime

Image Courtesy: ANI

The DGP of Jammu and Kashmir police, Dilbag Singh, on Monday said that the police took less than 36 hours to arrest the man involved in the blast that occurred in a car near a CRPF convoy in Banihal, Ramban, on March Saturday.

Singh added that accused Owais Ameen confessed to his crime during interrogation. Ameen is a resident of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir, ANI reported.

"The accused Owais Ameen has been arrested within 36 hrs of the incident. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. He is a resident of Shopian," Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.

Dilbag Singh, DGP J&K on the blast that occurred in a car near a CRPF convoy in Banihal, Ramban, on 30 March: The accused Owais Ameen has been arrested within 36 hrs of the incident. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. He is a resident of Shopian. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/rQy2jtIJ3V — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2019

DGP Singh told reporters that a Santro car loaded with explosives hit a CRPF bus at about 10:15 am in Banihal on Saturday. The car hit the bus when the CRPF convoy was moving from Srinagar to Jammu. The bus suffered minor damage as a result of the attack but all the CRPF personnel travelling in the bus escaped unharmed.

Dilbag Singh,DGP J&K: On 30th March at about 10:15 am, a Santro car loaded with explosives hit a CRPF bus in Banihal while the convoy was moving from Srinagar to Jammu, as a result the bus suffered minor damage and the CRPF personnel travelling in the said bus had a narrow escape https://t.co/Nzhk2iySWt — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2019

"On 30th March at about 10:15 am, a Santro car loaded with explosives hit a CRPF bus in Banihal while the convoy was moving from Srinagar to Jammu, as a result the bus suffered minor damage and the CRPF personnel travelling in the said bus had a narrow escape," Singh told reporters.

The accused Owais later confessed to his crime when he was questioned by reporters about his involvement in the incident and said, "I was asked on phone to explode the convoy. My task was to drive the car & press the switch. I pressed the button while I was in the car. I was alone when I did it."

Confession of the accused in the car blast in Banihal, Ramban, after his arrest, today: I was asked on phone to explode the convoy. My task was to drive the car & press the switch. I pressed the button while I was in the car. I was alone when I did it. #JammuAndKashmir https://t.co/T8OQYLTUuc — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2019

It is to be noted that Ameen had car managed to flee from the site immediately before the fire engulfed the vehicle. A massive hunt was launched to nab Ameen and he was finally arrested on Monday.

"The inspection of the vehicle and surrounding areas led to the recovery of LPG cylinders, a jerrycan filled with petrol, gelatin stick, urea and sulphur -- material which is used for fabricating the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)," police had told PTI. 

The incident comes less than two months after the Pulwama terror attack that resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel. The CRPF men were killed after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad had rammed an explosive-laden Eeco van into a CRPF bus on Srinagar-Jammu Highway on February 14.