Main Accused in 1993 Deoband Bomb Blast Arrested After 31 Years from Budgam district of Kashmir

Main Accused in 1993 Deoband Bomb Blast Arrested After 31 Years from Budgam district of Kashmir

ATS Saharanpur, Police teams from Deoband, JKP catch Nazir Ahmed Wani in sting ops’

NVI Correspondent

Srinagar, Nov 22(NVI): Nazir Ahmed Wani, the prime accused in the 1993 Deoband bomb blast case has been arrested from Budgam district of Central Kashmir after evading capture for 31 years.

The arrest was made on November 17 during a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh(Saharanpur) Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Deoban Police team and Kashmir Police in the Budgam district of Kashmir.

Nazir Ahmed Wani, who has been a fugitive for over three decades, was reportedly involved in the bombings that rocked Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, in 1993, causing multiple  injuries to two policemen. His arrest marks a significant development in the long-pending investigation into the deadly attack.

After his arrest, Wani was brought before a court in Uttar Pradesh yesterday, where legal proceedings are expected to follow. His capture is seen as a major breakthrough in a case that had remained unresolved for years, with Wani being one of the last remaining key suspects still at large.

Authorities have praised the coordination between the ATS and J&K Police, which led to the successful arrest. This operation is being viewed as part of broader efforts to strengthen counter-terrorism operations and bring long-wanted criminals to justice.

The Deoband bomb blasts had left a deep scar on the community, and the arrest of Wani has brought some relief to the victims’ families, who had long awaited justice.

A police officer from UP confirmed the arrest of Wani stating that he was presented before the court yesterday. “Law will take its own course now, ” he said.

Meanwhile, former DGP J&K, Shesh Paul Vaid wrote on X that:
“The main accused in the 1993 Deoband bomb blasts, Nazir Ahmed Wani, has been arrested from Srinagar in a joint operation by the
@Uppolice
Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and
@JmuKmrPolice
after evading capture for 31 years.”

“Terrorists and hardened criminals often escape the police dragnet due to massive, unfiltered data scattered in silos across the country. This highlights the urgent need for collating such data with the help of AI in a mission-mode approach, as suggested by Home Minister
AmitShah
two days ago at the Police Science Congress in Gandhinagar, Gujarat,” he said. Vaid also said the Wani was living under five fake names to stay away from  police gaze over the last three dcades–(NVI)

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