Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 31: Police was interrogating another suspected Pakistani national and his Gujjar harbourer, who were arrested by the Army, from forward village of Panyari close to Hariya Chak in Hiranagar sector, yesterday. He had stayed in different parts of the country including Union capital, Punjab and Jammu for past more than 20 years. The arrests came just two days after a Pakistani boy and a Gujjar, who had given him shelter for past two and a half years, were nabbed from Hariya Chak, located close to the International Border (IB).
Police said they were confirming nationality of the person arrested from village Panyari, who has disclosed his identity as Raju Din son of Ali Akbar, aged between 30 to 32 years and a resident of Lahore before security forces and Maan Singh son of Parchu Ral R/o Old Delhi before police. Intelligence sources confirmed that Raju Din is a Pak national but police insisted that nationality of the arrested person was doubtful as he was staying here for the past quite sometime now.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar told the Excelsior that police was recording the statement of arrested person to verify his antecedents and credentials.
“We will take follow up action only when we are convinced who is who. The matter is at preliminary stage of investigations and things would be clear in the next few days,’’ Mr Kumar said.
SSP Kathua Mohan Lal said police was questioning the arrested person.
“Army has handed over the youth to us. We are interrogating him. However, during preliminary questioning, the accused has disclosed his identity as Maan Singh,’’ Mohan Lal said, adding the youth has claimed that he had reached Samba in a train from New Delhi.
The SSP Kathua said the youth has stayed at Katli, Samba and Kalanoor in Gurdaspur before heading back to Samba and staying with Fareed Ahmad. Prior to the stay with Fareed, he was putting up in the house of Fareed’s brother-in-law Lal Din at Gurdaspur.
Mohan Lal said the custodial interrogation of the youth was on and things would be clear in the next couple of days.
Sources said the ‘Pakistani youth’ and Fareed Ahmad, who has also been detained, were likely to be sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) for questioning and cross examination to ascertain the facts as there were two different versions about the nationality of the youth.
Reliable sources said Raju Din son of Ali Akbar was a resident of Lahore and was putting up in India for at least past 20 years and Panyari village of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district for last over a month.
Police said after first Pakistani national Mohammad Imran son of Gaffar Ahmad, a resident of Jalochak, Sahiwal (Pakistan) was arrested from the house of a Gujjar Hassan Din alias Noon son of Alam Din at Hariya Chak two days back, security forces and police had started keeping a close vigil on all persons staying with some families in the forward areas.
“It was on the basis of this surveillance that Army captured Raju and handed him over to police for questioning,’’ sources said.
Police have already decided to send Mohammad Imran and Noon Gujjar to JIC for interrogation. Imran, 16, was staying with Noon Gujjar for past two and a half years. Imran was a resident of Sahiwal, Pakistan.
It may be mentioned here that three fidayeens, who had carried out twin terror attacks at Hiranagar police station in Kathua district and Mehsar Army camp in Samba district, had first surfaced at forward village of Hariya Chak in Hiranagar. Ten persons including eight security personnel were killed in the attacks. Army had eliminated the fidayeens in their camp.
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