The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir Police have summoned the zipline operator, who was heard saying ‘Allahu Akbar’ in a video, for questioning, as per sources. Everyone present at the spot was summoned for questioning by the probe agencies.
The development comes after a video from Pahalgam, recorded by a man named Rishi Bhatt, went viral on social media. In the video, Bhatt can be seen smiling and recording himself as gunshots can be heard in the background.
He told India Today that a zipline operator shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and then began firing immediately after raising the slogan. Recalling the incident, Bhatt said before he got on the zipline, his wife, son and 4 others had already gone across.
“When they were there, this person did not say ‘Allahhu Akbar.’ But when I was on the zipline, he said it thrice, and then the firing started,” Rishi Bhatt said.
He realised that after around 15-20 seconds, the firing had actually begun. “You can see in my video a man falling down,” he said.
Bhatt further mentioned that it was at this moment, he realised something was wrong. “I stopped my zipline rope, jumped down from about 15 feet, and started running with my wife and son. I was only thinking about saving my life and my family’s life.”
He said that he and his family ran towards the forest and then to the parking area before moving to Srinagar for safety. Bhatt further stated that just beside his wife, there were two more couples.
“The terrorist came, asked them their names and religion, and then fired at them. Just because I was on the ropeway, my life was saved. Otherwise, if I had been with my wife, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Like many other eyewitnesses, Bhatt claimed the terrorists were asking tourists to recite the kalma. He added that the people who could not recite the kalma were asked their name and religion and then shot.
On April 22, at least 26 people were killed in a deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has taken the responsibility of the attack.
