Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sandip Kumar Sharma arrested

New Delhi, Jul 10: The Jammu-Kashmir police on Monday claimed to have busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba group which was involved in a spate of bank and ATM robberies.

Police arrested Sandip Kumar Sharma, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the case. He was also allegedly part of the LeT group that ambushed a police patrol and killed six security personnel, including SHO Firoz Dar.

Briefing the media, J&K IGP Munir Khan said: He (Sandeep) was a criminal, he got in touch with Lashkar through one Shakoor of Sopore…The militants of Lashkar took help of Sandeep to loot ATMs, and they also indulged in immoral activities in the villages.”

Khan claimed the Lashkar was recruiting non-local criminals to carry out their terrorist activities in the Valley. Khan said Sandeep Sharma was apprehended from a house where Lashkar militants took shelter.

"Sandeep son of Ram Sharma incidentally was in the same house where dreaded Lashkar militant, Bashir Lashkar was residing.To the locals he(Sandeep) used the name Adil. He lived with two identities," Khan told media.

According to the reports, militants have looted over a dozen banks or ATMs across Kashmir in recent months.

On further inquiry by the police, it was revealed that Sandeep along with other individuals hatched a criminal conspiracy leading to providing shelter, ferrying of terrorists from one place to other for terror strikes and actively participating in terrorist activities.

He also concealed weapons looted from police guards in a vehicle and shifted them to different locations on the directions of LeT. An investigation is underway for ascertaining the roles of his other associates in the crimes.