In a joint operation, the J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) and CID have arrested eight terrorists and their associates who were absconding for more than three decades.

The SIA said on Thursday that the arrested persons were “involved in serious crimes of terrorism and disruptive activities” and have been booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, (TADA).

Cases of kidnapping, killing, Arms Act and instigating people on communal lines stand registered against some of these terrorists.

The accused terrorists were arrested by the SIA with inputs from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of Jammu & Kashmir Police. They will be produced before the TADA / POTA court in Jammu in pursuance of warrants issued against the aforementioned absconder terrorists, SIA said.

They were charge-sheeted in a TADA court in Jammu. Cases were registered around three decades ago in different Police Stations of district Doda. These absconding terrorists had managed to escape from the clutches of the law for decades by going underground and remaining untraced for some time and then resurfaced to enjoy normal family life at their native or some distant places.

“Some of these terrorists managed to get government jobs and contracts, others found engaged in private businesses and even working in the court,” stated the SIA.

The apprehended eight absconding terrorists have been identified, by the SIA, as Adil Farooq resident of Jammu (Government employee presently posted in J&K Board of School Education, Jammu); Mohammad Iqbal alias Javed, Mujahid Hussain alias Nisar Ahmed, Tariq Hussain, Ishtiaq Ahmad Dev, Ishfaq Ahmad (working as a writer in court complex Doda); all residents of Doda; Ajaz Ahmed alias Mohammad Iqbal and Jameel Ahmad alias Chika Khan, both residents of Bhaderwah.

SIA has so far identified 369 (215 in Jammu and 154 in Kashmir) absconders out of 734 absconders (317 in Jammu and 417 in Kashmir) in 327 TADA/POTA cases.

“Out of 369 verified absconders, 127 remained untraced, 80 have died, 45 are residing in Pakistan or Pakistan occupied Kashmir and other countries and 4 are lodged in jail,” the SIA said.

The SIA is investigating the role of various agencies that are suspected of having facilitated the escape of these terrorists.