Top Hizbul Mujahideen operative gets seven year jail

NEW DELHI: Banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's top operative Mohd Abudulla, a Pakistani national who had opened fire at a police team here in 2010, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Delhi court.

The court convicted Abudulla, who was Hizbul Mujahideen's district commander of Rajouri in Kashmir, for offences under various sections of the IPC, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Foreigners Act and Arms Act after he pleaded guilty.

Besides the jail term, Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 1.79 lakh on Abudulla, who was lodged in jail after being arrested by Special Cell of Delhi Police here in November 2010.

"The accused (Abudulla) in his statement under section 313 of the CrPC has admitted all the incriminating evidence that has come on record against him in this trial. Keeping in view the evidence....I, therefore, do not have any hesitation in holding the accused guilty of all the charges framed against him," the judge said.

According to the police, they had received an information that Abudulla was hiding somewhere in Delhi and he would come to Hauz Khas area in south Delhi to meet one of his associates with illegal arms and ammunition in November, 2010.

It said that a police team reached at the spot and after the accused was seen, they asked him to surrender but he took out a firearm and shot at the cops. The bullets hit two policemen on their bullet proof jackets.

The police said that after exchange of fire between them, Abudulla surrendered and one pistol with three live cartridges were recovered from his possession.

It said that during interrogation, he had disclosed that he could get recovered illegal arms and ammunition from forest area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir after which the cops reached Kundra Dhan Nala in Rajouri and a cave was searched.

It said that two bags containing one AK-56 rifle, its four magazines, one hand grenade, one combat gun pouch and other materials were recovered from there.

During pendency of trial before the court, Abudulla moved an application seeking to plead guilty to the charges framed against him.

Thereafter, the court convicted him for the offences for which charges were framed against him.