Jammu/Srinagar: In a significant breakthrough after more than three decades, the Government Railway Police (GRP) Jammu on Thursday (13 August 2026) arrested Altaf Hussain Sheikh, a long-absconding accused in the 1991 bomb blast at Jammu Railway Station. Sheikh had been living under a concealed identity as a successful businessman in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara area.
The 35-year manhunt ended with his arrest and production before the TADA Court the same day for further legal proceedings. Police described the development as the result of an intensive two-year effort that meticulously verified his identity and residential particulars.
The 1991 Attack
On 2 April 1991, a bomb exploded on Platform No. 1 of Jammu Railway Station (also referred to as Jammu Tawi). The blast killed three people, including two personnel of the paramilitary forces, and injured 18 civilians. An FIR (No. 07/1991) was registered at GRP Police Station, Jammu, under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Ranbir Penal Code, Sections 3 and 4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.
During the initial investigation, one accused, Aman Ullah Khan, was arrested on the day of the blast. Three other accused, including Altaf Hussain Sheikh, managed to escape. They were later declared absconders by the court. Police sources indicate that Sheikh, along with his accomplices, was involved in carrying out the bombing.
How the Accused Evaded Capture
Altaf Hussain Sheikh, son of Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and a resident of Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district, initially went underground after the attack. Over the subsequent decades he lived under a concealed (or assumed/fake) identity and established himself as a successful businessman in the Bijbehara area of south Kashmir.
GRP Jammu intensified its efforts over the past two years. Officers “minutely” examined details of his identity and residential particulars, eventually confirming that the man living as a businessman in Bijbehara was the same individual wanted in the 1991 case. The long pursuit culminated in his arrest on 13 August 2026.
A police statement said: “Railway (GRP) Police Jammu arrests an absconding terrorist booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. Altaf Hussain Sheikh… after a long chase of 35 years, initially went underground and was living with a concealed identity for several decades… Long pursuit by the police team brought results, and the accused responsible for the death of innocent persons was arrested and produced before the TADA Court on 13th August 2026 for further legal proceedings.”
Second Arrest in the Case
This is only the second arrest in the 35-year-old case. Aman Ullah Khan remains the only other accused who was apprehended at the time of the incident. Police have indicated that they continue to look for the remaining accused who were declared absconders. All those named in the case face charges under the stringent provisions of TADA and related laws.
Significance
The arrest closes one of the lingering files from the early phase of militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir. The 1991 blast occurred during a period of intense terrorist activity targeting public spaces and security forces. Cases registered under TADA from that era have often remained pending for decades due to the difficulty of locating absconding accused who melted into civilian life under new identities.
Officials emphasised that the success was the result of sustained verification rather than a sudden tip-off, underscoring the value of revisiting old case records with modern investigative thoroughness. Sheikh’s production before the TADA Court marks the formal restart of legal proceedings against him after 35 years on the run.
Further investigation and court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming days. Police have not released additional details about the nature of the business Sheikh ran or any other associates who may have assisted him in remaining undetected.
