Ex-Union Minister's son held for mosques desecration in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 18 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Police today claimed to have arrested a former Union Minister's son in connection with the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and some mosques in Achabal area of Anantnag district.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Anantnag Abdul Gani Mir said an investigating team arrested Gowhar Maqbool Dar, the son of former Union Minister of State for Home Mohammad Maqbool Dar in connection with the desecration of the Holy Quran and mosques, one of these 200-year-old, in Achabal area of Anantnag district.

Mr Dar was the junior Home Minister in the H D Deve Gowda-led United Front government at the Centre. He was elected from the Anantnag constituency as a Janata Dal candidate in 1996.

Mr Dar then rejoined the Congress in 2004 after being out of the party for nearly two decades.

The SSP said sustained investigations revealed that the accused was not only responsible for the alleged desecration of mosques, but had also broken open a shop at Chandervan Utrasoo before trying to set the religious places on fire. He had also decamped with sweets, crackers, biscuits and cigarettes from the shop, Mr Mir added.

The SSP said the accused had also stolen a wooden chest from a shrine and thrown in a drain at Nowgam the Holy Quran stolen by him from a Jamia Mosque at Shangus. Dar had also attempted to set on fire a mosque at Somran Nowgam, he added.

On Dar's instance, Mr Mir said all the stolen items besides a hammer and a kerosene pot were seized from his house.

The SSP attributed all the crimes to Dar, saying these were his individual acts. ''Dar is a drug addict and has complex family problems,'' he added.

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