Pulwama Terror Attack Accused Dies of Heart Attack in Jammu Hospital

Jammu: A 32-year-old man charged in the deadly terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama five years ago has died from a heart attack at the Government Medical College Hospital, said officials. Bilal Ahmad Kuchey, from Kakapora's Hajibal village, was one of 19 people formally charged in the case.

On February 14, 2019, a terrorist from the Pakistan -based Jaish-e-Mohammad drove an explosive-laden car into a convoy, killing 40 CRPF personnel and injuring eight others in Pulwama's Lethpora.

According to officials, Kuchey was hospitalised on September 17 after falling ill at Kishtwar district jail and died from a heart attack on Monday night.

Kuchey and 18 others were chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 25, 2020. He was among seven accused arrested in the case.

He, along with other accused Shakir Bashir, Insha Jan, and Peer Tariq Ahmad Shah, provided logistical support and sheltered JeM terrorists in their homes.

The chargesheet included various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Foreigners Act, and the J&K Public Property (Prevention of Damages) Act.

Six terrorists involved in the attack, including three from Pakistan , were killed in separate encounters, while six others, including JeM founder Masood Azhar, remain at large.

The NIA stated that the Pulwama attack was part of a well-planned criminal conspiracy led by the Pakistan -based leadership of the terrorist organization.

JeM leaders have been sending their members to training camps in Afghanistan to learn about explosives and other terrorist tactics, according to the NIA.