1991 Jammu Railway blast accused held after 35 years on the run
Synopsis
Thirty-five years after a bomb tore through Jammu Railway Station's Platform No. 1 — killing three, including two paramilitary personnel — the GRP Jammu has finally arrested one of the key accused. Altaf Hussain Sheikh had reportedly reinvented himself as a local businessman in Bijbehara, hiding in plain sight until a two-year manhunt closed in.
Key Takeaways
Altaf Hussain Sheikh , accused in the 2 April 1991 Jammu Railway Station blast, was arrested on 13 August 2025 after 35 years as an absconder.
The blast at Platform No.
1, Jammu Railway Station killed 3 persons — including 2 paramilitary personnel — and injured 18 civilians .
Sheikh was booked under TADA , the Ranbir Penal Code , and the Explosive Substances Act ; produced before the TADA Court on Thursday.
He had reportedly lived under a concealed identity as a businessman in Bijbehara, Anantnag for over three decades.
The arrest follows a two-year intensive manhunt by GRP Jammu and is part of a broader drive to resolve 1990s militancy-era cases .
The Government Railway Police (GRP) Jammu on Thursday, 13 August 2025, arrested a man accused in the 1991 Jammu Railway Station bomb blast — a case that had remained unresolved for 35 years. The accused, Altaf Hussain Sheikh, son of Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and a resident of Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, had been declared an absconder by a court and had reportedly lived under a concealed identity for decades.
The 1991 Blast: What Happened
The explosion occurred on 2 April 1991 at Platform No. 1 of Jammu Railway Station, killing three persons — including two paramilitary personnel — and injuring 18 civilians. An FIR was registered at the GRP Jammu Police Station under Sections 307, 302, and 120(B) 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.
Three Decades of Evasion
During the initial investigation, one accused — Aman Ullah Khan — was arrested. Three others, including Sheikh, managed to escape and were subsequently declared absconders by the court. According to officials, Sheikh had reportedly established himself as a businessman in the Bijbehara area, concealing his identity for over three decades.
The Manhunt and Arrest
Police said that over the last two years, GRP Jammu launched an intensive manhunt to trace the remaining absconders. The team eventually located Sheikh, verified his identity, and confirmed he had been living under an assumed identity. Following the long pursuit, he was arrested and produced before the TADA Court on Thursday for further legal proceedings. He has been booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.
Part of a Broader Reopening of Militancy-Era Cases
This arrest is part of a wider effort by Jammu and Kashmir authorities to reopen and resolve militancy-related cases from the 1990s. Notably, other cases reopened after 35 years include the 1990 killing of Kashmiri Pandit poet, journalist, and social reformer Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son Verinder, as well as the 1990 kidnap, rape, and killing of nurse Sarla Bhat in Srinagar. Officials said the sustained efforts reflect a broader institutional commitment to delivering justice in long-pending terror cases.
The case now moves to the TADA Court, where legal proceedings against Sheikh are expected to advance after more than three decades.
Point of View
But that Sheikh reportedly lived openly as a businessman in the same region — raising questions about how long investigative focus on absconders had lapsed before the recent two-year manhunt. The parallel reopening of the Sarwanand Koul Premi and Sarla Bhat cases suggests a deliberate pattern, not isolated effort. Whether this momentum translates into convictions — given the evidentiary challenges of three-decade-old cases — remains the harder test.
NationPress
14 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Altaf Hussain Sheikh and why was he arrested?
Altaf Hussain Sheikh is a resident of Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, accused in the 2 April 1991 bomb blast at Platform No. 1 of Jammu Railway Station. He was arrested by GRP Jammu on 13 August 2025 after evading the law for 35 years, during which he reportedly lived under a concealed identity as a local businessman.
What happened in the 1991 Jammu Railway Station blast?
A bomb exploded on 2 April 1991 at Platform No. 1 of Jammu Railway Station, killing three persons — including two paramilitary personnel — and injuring 18 civilians. An FIR was registered under TADA, the Ranbir Penal Code, and the Explosive Substances Act.
How did police trace the accused after 35 years?
GRP Jammu launched an intensive two-year manhunt to track down absconders in the case. The team traced Altaf Hussain Sheikh, verified his identity, and confirmed he had been living under an assumed identity in the Bijbehara area before making the arrest.
What legal action has been taken against Altaf Hussain Sheikh?
Sheikh has been booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), along with Sections 307, 302, and 120(B) of the Ranbir Penal Code and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act. He was produced before the TADA Court on Thursday for further legal proceedings.
Are other 1990s militancy cases being reopened in Jammu and Kashmir?
Yes. Authorities have reopened several cases from the 1990s, including the killing of Kashmiri Pandit poet Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son Verinder, and the kidnap, rape, and killing of nurse Sarla Bhat in Srinagar — all dating to 1990. Officials say the effort reflects a sustained drive to deliver justice in long-pending terror cases.
