Jammu- The Railway Police has arrested an absconding accused in a 1991 bomb blast case at Jammu railway station after a manhunt spanning nearly 35 years, officials said.
The accused was identified as Altaf Hussain Sheikh, son of Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and a resident of Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district, they said.
He had initially gone underground and subsequently lived for several decades under a concealed identity, establishing himself as a successful businessman in the Bijbehara area, police said.
According to the police, Sheikh, along with his accomplices, was allegedly involved in the bomb blast at platform number 1 of the Jammu Railway Station on April 2, 1991, in which three persons, including two members of paramilitary forces, were killed and 18 civilians injured.
A case was registered in 1991 at the Government Railway Police (GRP) Station in Jammu under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), Sections 3/4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Sections 4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act, they said.
During the investigation, one accused, Aman Ullah Khan, was arrested, while three others escaped and remained untraced. They were subsequently declared absconders by the competent court, they said.
Police said GRP Jammu intensified its efforts to trace the absconding accused over the past two years. A dedicated team worked to establish Sheikh’s identity and antecedents by meticulously verifying his residential particulars and other details, they said.
The investigation eventually led police to his concealed identity and location in the Bijbehara area, where he had been living for several decades, officials said.
“After a long pursuit, the accused was finally apprehended,” police said, adding that Sheikh was produced before the TADA Court on August 13, 2026, for further legal proceedings.
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a case involving the killing and injuries of innocent passengers and security personnel at Jammu railway station more than three decades ago, police said.
