Jammu and Kashmir Police in Rajouri district have booked aPolice constable, a surrender militant and another villager for their involvement in a criminal act of snatching of saffron from a trader and assaulting him besides use of guns to terrorise the victim.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rajouri Yougal Manhas saidthat the incident took place in Sankari village of Rajouri in which a manidentified as Afsar Hussain went to the said village for selling Saffron(Kesar).However, in the said village, a retired teacher Mohammad Mustafa Shahson of Mohammad Zaman Shah resident of Sankari, who was in contact with victim,hatched a conspiracy to snatch saffron from him, said SSP.Two more persons whohappen to be real brothers and identified as police constable Mushtaq Shah sonof Bahadur Singh and ex-militant Guddu Shah son of Bahadur Shah, residents ofBudhal, also joined the prime accused in the conspiracy, he added.SSP RajouriYougal Manhas said that when victim reached in Sankari village to sell Saffron,accused Mustafa Shah along with Mushtaq Shah (cop) and Guddu Shah (ex-militant)overpowered the victim and assaulted him besides also threatened him with .12gague (12 bore) guns and snatched saffron from him and later made him to runfrom the area.Soon after the information of the incident was received bypolice, SSP Rajouri Yougal Manhas said, a team headed by Station House OfficerRajouri Sameer Jillani under the supervision of DySP Headquarters SurinderKhadyar and another reinforcement team under the supervision of DySP PC(Operations) Pranav Mahajan was rushed to the spot and a raid was conducted inthe house of Mustafa Shah where the incident had taken place.During raid,police team managed to nab the prime accused Mustafa Shah and also recoveredtwo .12 gague guns used in the crime besides recovery of saffron snatched fromthe victim.

A case in FIR 652/2019 under sections 382, 342, 506, 34 IPCand 3/25 Indian Arms Act have been registered in police station Rajouri.

SSP Rajouri Yougal Manhas said that manhunt has beenlaunched to nab the other two accused who include police constable Mushtaq Shahand surrender militant Guddu Shah who are absconding since the incident.

SSP Rajouri Yougal Manhas further said that departmentalproceedings have also been initiated against police constable Mushtaq Shah forhis involvement in the criminal case.