Srinagar- Three men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an attack on a restaurant owner’s son here two days ago, when a 24-member delegation of foreign envoys arrived on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said on Friday.
The arrested men, who were lured into militancy by a commander of the proscribed militant outfit, Lashkar-e-Toiba (Let), was tasked with carrying out a strike at Krishna Dhaba, a popular eatery with tourists and locals, he added.
“We have arrested three men, who were involved in the attack at Krishna Dhaba in which one civilian was injured,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar told.
The accused were identified as Suhail Ahamad Mir, Owais Manzoor Sofi and Vilayat Aziz Mir, the police said.
Kumar said acting on a tip-off that the attackers had come on a two-wheeler, a special investigation team headed by an officer of the rank of superintendent of police got the leads on them after going through the CCTV footage obtained from the area.
Subsequently, two of the accused were arrested, he said, adding that the two-wheeler and the weapon used in the commission of the crime were seized from their possession.
During the questioning, the duo revealed the involvement of another accused in the crime, who was also arrested.
“The purpose of the attack was to instill fear among the tourists,” the IGP said.
Akash Mehra, the son of the owner of Krishna Dhaba, located in a high-security area of the city, was shot at by the men from a close range and critically wounded on Wednesday evening.
Mehra was immediately rushed to the SMHS Hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable.