J&K admin razes house of Jaish militant accused in Pulwama strike

Pointing out that the house was demolished because it was “illegally constructed on State land”, Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama, Baseer Choudhary, told The Sunday Express, “The house had been already sealed by the NIA (National Investigation Agency).”

Nengroo, believed to be in Pakistan, is an accused in the 2019 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. A militant had rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying the paramilitary troops on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The strike brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

In April this year, the Union Home Ministry designated Nengroo a “terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He is believed to have transported Umar Farooq, nephew of Masood Azhar and the mastermind of Pulwama attack, from Jammu to Pulwama.

A driver by profession, the 34-year-old’s primary job, according to police officers, was to transport Jaish-e-Mohammad militants and weapons — he is believed to have transported dozens of Jaish militants from the international border in Jammu and Punjab to Kashmir Valley.

According to police, Nengroo’s younger brother, Mohammad Abbas, was an active Jaish militant and was killed in a gunfight in Pulwama in 2013.

Nengroo went underground after his role in transportation of militants came to light, officers said. Investigators later learnt that he was sent to Pakistan, along with his family, through a tunnel in Jammu.