SRINAGAR: Two National Investigation Agency teams together comprising nearly 30 people raided several places, including the house of BJP sarpanch Tariq Ahmad Mir at Maldarpora, in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, on Sunday in connection with the investigation into the alleged involvement of DSP Davinder Singh with two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and one OGW (overground worker for terrorists) arrested along with him.

The DSP, the two Hizb terrorists and one OGW, including Hizb operations commander Naveed Babu, alias Syed Naveed, had been arrested on January 11, 2020 near Qazigund, on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. A fourth OGW was arrested later.

Tariq Mir (30) was elected sarpanch in 2018 on a BJP ticket from Halqa Maldarpora, Shopian district. The NIA claimed it had recovered several passbooks of different banks and some essential documents. Official sources claimed Tariq Mir was linked to Naveed Babu who had deserted from the J&K police force in May 2017 to become a Hizb terrorist, taking with him four INSAS rifles from Budgam , central Kashmir.

However, BJP sarpanch Tariq Mir was not arrested; he was only questioned by the NIA team, sources said. Another agency team raided the houses of one Tahir Sheikh at Kellar, Shopian, and of Rahil Magray at Ganowpora, Shopian. Both men are suspected to be associates of Naveed Babu.

The NIA teams also raided the house of Irfan Shafi Mir, a lawyer-turned-terrorist arrested when travelling to Jammu with Naveed Babu and DSP Davinder Singh.

The residence of Rafi Ahmad Rather, another Hizb terrorist arrested with Naveed Babu and DSP Davinder Singh, was also raided. The house of one Adil Pala of Shopian was searched in connection with the investigation, official sources said.

The agency recovered several mobile phones from the houses they searched, sources said.

