35-Year Hunt Ends as 1991 Jammu Railway Blast Accused Held in Anantnag

A terrorist accused in the 1991 Jammu railway station bomb blast has been arrested in Anantnag district after evading police for nearly 35 years, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, Altaf Hussain Sheikh, son of Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and a resident of Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag, was arrested by the Jammu Railway Police after an intensive manhunt. Police said Sheikh had initially gone underground and later lived for decades under a concealed identity, establishing himself as a successful businessman in the Bijbehara area.

According to police, Sheikh and his accomplices were allegedly involved in the bombing at Platform No. 1 of Jammu Railway Station on April 2, 1991. The blast killed three people, including two paramilitary personnel, and injured 18 civilians.

A case was registered at the Government Railway Police (GRP) station in Jammu under provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Explosive Substances Act.

During the initial investigation, one accused, Aman Ullah Khan, was arrested, while three others escaped and remained untraced. They were later declared absconders by the competent court.

The GRP Jammu intensified its efforts to trace the fugitives over the past two years. A dedicated team verified Sheikh’s identity, residential particulars and other antecedents before tracing him to Bijbehara, where he had reportedly been living under an assumed identity.

Police said the prolonged pursuit finally resulted in Sheikh’s arrest. He was produced before the TADA Court on August 13, 2026, for further legal proceedings.

The arrest marks a major breakthrough in a case that remained unresolved for more than three decades and involved the deaths and injuries of passengers and security personnel at one of Jammu’s key railway stations.