The Government Railway Police (GRP) Jammu on Thursday arrested a terrorist who had been evading arrest for 35 years in connection with the 1991 Jammu railway station bomb blast. The blast took place at Jammu railway station and killed three people, including two members of the paramilitary forces. It also injured 18 civilians.

The arrested accused has been identified as Altaf Hussain Sheikh, a resident of Bijbehara in Anantnag. Police booked him under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act and other relevant sections of the Ranbir Penal Code at Police Station GRP Jammu.

“The accused, arrested after a 35-year chase, had initially gone underground and was living with a concealed identity for several decades,” said GRP’s spokesperson of Jammu.

Sheikh was allegedly involved in the bomb blast along with other accomplices. The incident took place on April 2, 1991, at platform number 1 of Jammu railway station. The blast killed three and left 18 civilians injured. Two of those killed were from the paramilitary forces.

Police arrested one of the accused, Aman Ullah Khan, on the day of the blast. The other three accused managed. Police continued efforts to trace them over the following years.

A court later declared the three accused who had escaped as absconders. Sheikh absconded from the authorities for more than three decades while using a concealed identity.

The GRP Jammu intensified its efforts to locate Sheikh over the past two years. During the investigation and manhunt, police traced his movements and discovered that he had been living under a fake identity. Investigators found that he had established himself as a successful businessman while keeping his alleged involvement in the 1991 blast hidden.

After identifying his concealed identity, the GRP Jammu tracked him down and arrested him on Thursday. His arrest marks a major development in the decades-old case. Police had continued to pursue the accused despite the long gap since the blast.

The 1991 bombing at Jammu railway station remains a significant case in the history of terrorism-related incidents in the region. The latest arrest brings one of the long-pending investigations linked to the attack back into focus. The authorities are now expected to proceed with further legal action against Sheikh under the charges filed against him.