Main accused behind firing at Samba swimming pool in J&K arrested from HP

Jammu, Jul 9 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday claimed to have solved a recent case of firing at a swimming pool in Samba district by arresting the main accused from Himachal Pradesh.

Balvinder Singh alias ‘Goru’, a resident of Vijaypur area of Samba, was identified as the main accused in the case. He was arrested during raids at Dharamshala and McleodGanj in Himachal Pradesh, Samba Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Benam Tosh said.

He said police registered a case and started investigation immediately after a group of 10 masked criminals appeared at the Birpur swimming pool on July 3 and injured two staff members Tahir Latif and Muzaffar Siraj of Kishtwar – with sharp-edged weapons. They opened fire with a pistol before fleeing the scene.

The SSP said the investigation revealed that “Lambu-Gujjar-Gang” of notorious heroin smugglers, also called “Yuqa-Gujjar-Gang”, had committed the murderous attack on innocent swimming pool’s watchmen at Birpur.

A few days before the incident, some of the gang members had an altercation with the swimming pool staff after they denied permission to them to take bath without putting off clothes.

Raids are on to arrest the other accused involved in the case, he said.