A Mumbai Police team is in Srinagar to question two men, one of them a former militant out on bail, in connection with the July 11 train blasts. The J&K Police are also interrogating a foreign militant, Taufooq Akmal Hashemi alias Abu Amad, who was arrested by Rashtriya Rifles last night from South Kashmir, for possible links to the Mumbai blasts. Abu Amad, the Army said, was a Pakistan Army ex-serviceman.

Highly placed sources in J&K Police told The Indian Express that two local men, including a former militant, were picked up the Army for their alleged role in the Mumbai blasts. “The Mumbai Police is here to seek custody of the two men. They will interrogate them to check if there’s any link,” said a senior police officer.

The J&K police are being cautious while probing any possible Kashmiri link to the Mumbai blasts. Earlier, a man was arrested from Mendhar after he returned home for a holiday from Mumbai where he worked as a private security guard. His name came up because he lost his identity card in Mumbai which was found by the police.

The police are also questioning Abu Amad, Al Badr’s Jammu—Udhampur divisional commander who was arrested by Rashtriya Rifles from a hideout in the forests of Nadimarg, Kulgam. The Army said he had been actively operating in the area for the last ten years.

“The divisional commander was arrested from a hideout in Kulgam forests. Two of his accomplices managed to escape. He is a top militant commander and also an ex-serviceman of the Pakistan Army,” said Col Malhotra, spokesman of the Army’s Victor Force. “He (Abu Amad) has been handed over to police for interrogation and will be questioned by the intelligence agencies about his links to the Mumbai blasts,” he said.

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