JK: Ex-union min son held for mosque desecration

Srinagar, Jan 20: The recent desecration of the Holy Quran and some mosques in south Kashmir was aimed at flaring up communal tension in the valley, accused Gowhar Maqbool Dar, the son of former Union Minister of State for Home Mohammad Maqbool Dar said.

Gowhar Dar, a drug addict, admitted that he was behind the desecration of the holy book and mosque for causing communal tension in the valley and other areas of the state.

The Investigating Officer (IO) told reporters that after the incident Anantnag Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Abdul Gani Mir formed a special team to arrest the culprit.

It was after a thorough investigation and questioning several people police finally got the clue and arrested Gowhar, a drug addict.

Gowhar, who was arrested two days ago, had strained relations with his family members and hardly had any friend, he said.

The IO said Gowhar during the questioning admitted his involvement not only in the desecration of the 200-year-old mosque in Achabal area of Anantnag district, but in other places of worships too.

Mr Maqbool Dar was the Union Minister of state for Home 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 returned to the Congress in 2004 after being out of the party for nearly two decades.

Gowhar had also broke open a shop at Chandervan Utrasoo before trying to set the religious places on fire. He had decamped with sweets, crackers, biscuits and cigarettes from the shop, he confessed He 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, he admitted. He had also attempted to set on fire a mosque at Somran Nowgam.

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

The desecration of mosques in Achabal area of Anantnag district, created tremendous resentment among the locals.

A fire had damaged the furnishing of a mosque at Chandervan on the intervening night of January 2-3, he said, adding the incident was believed to be an accident by the villagers.

Another incident took place on January 6 when the coir matting of a 200-year-old mosque at VakhilBalan in Shangus area was set on fire. A case was registered by the Achabal police station in this regard as well, the SSP said.

The incidents had triggered massive protests and complete shutdown in the area for three consecutive days.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 and a job to the person giving information leading to the arrest of culprits.

The incidents had evoked severe condemnation from different political, social and religious organisations.

UNI