350 kg explosives, AK-47: J&K cops recover arms cache from doctor’s rented home in Faridabad

The J&K Police said they also seized 358 kg of explosives suspected to be ammonium nitrate from Ganai’s rented home in Faridabad’s Dhauj village on Sunday during the operation that was conducted in coordination with UP Police. Police said they also recovered an AK-47 rifle, an assault file, a pistol, three magazines, 20 timers, a walkie-talkie set and other ammunition.

According to J&K Police, the haul was part of a larger cache of arms and ammunition recovered from searches conducted at multiple locations in Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal and Shopian in Kashmir, apart from Faridabad and Saharanpur.

In all, J&K Police said, they recovered a Chinese pistol, a Beretta pistol, an AK-56 rifle, an AK Krinkov rifle and nearly 3,000 kg of IED-making material, including explosives, chemicals, reagents, inflammable material, electronic circuits, batteries, wires, remote control, timers and metal sheets.

Faridabad Police said Ganai had been detained 10 days earlier and was formally arrested on Sunday. Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta confirmed the arrests in a press conference.

Describing the operation as a “major counter terrorism success”, the J&K Police said the two doctors were among seven persons arrested in connection with the module. Sources said that a woman doctor from Lucknow, who was working at the medical college in Al Falah University along with Ganai, was also detained in connection with the case. The hospital and university could not be reached for comment.

“The operation has led to the arrest of key operatives and recovery of a massive cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, during coordinated searches in J&K and other states,” the police said.

Earlier, the J&K Police had searched Rather’s locker at the Government Medical College in Anantnag, where he worked as a senior resident until October last year, recovering an AK-47 rifle and ammunition. Rather has been booked under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Residents of Dhauj village and a Crime Branch officer told this newspaper that a cleric from the local mosque has been “called for questioning as he knew the doctor”.