Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 11: Of a dozen persons detained by Bihar Police at Madhubani district along Indo-Nepal border last night, at least four of them were militants from Kashmir, who had sneaked into Indian territory from Nepal and were on way to the Valley. One of them was stated to be ‘close associate’ of Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salah-ud-Din.
Top police officers from Jammu and Kashmir have got in tough with their counterparts in Bihar to seek custody of the militants, or former militants, and their families to question them.
The detention of four Kashmiri militants along with their wives and children came close on the heels of arrest of a Kupwara militant Liyaqat Shah by New Delhi Police on the alleged charges of plotting a fidayeen attack at a shopping mall. After the State Government contested the claim of New Delhi Police, the Union Home Ministry had handed over investigations in Liyaqat case to National Investigating Agency (NIA).
Official sources identified the militants and their family members arrested by Shastra Seema Bal (SSB) along Indo-Nepal border at village Pipraun in Madhubani district of Bihar yesterday, as Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, a resident of village Udaara, Kupwara, his Pakistani wife, Amina Bibi and two children Shabir Ahmad Dar, 3 years and Ahsaan Ahmad Dar, 8 months, Firdous Ahmad, a resident of Bandipora, his Pakistani wife Sabia Bibi, a resident of Shahid Gali, Muzaffarabad (PoK) and their two children Anjal Ahmad, 4 years and Ansar Ahmad, 2 years, Parvez Ahmad of Bandipora and Nazir Ahmad of Kupwara, his Pakistani wife Sumera Bibi and a two years old son Aayan.
An agent Fareed Ahmad had helped the Kashmiri people cross the border charging Rs 40,000 while another agent Mohammad Saleem had arranged transport for them from Indo-Nepal border to Madhubani.
Sources said as all four militants belonged to the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Police has immediately established contact with their counterparts in Bihar to ascertain number of persons detained, their identity and recoveries made from their possession. Kashmir Police, whose senior officers spoke to their counterparts in Bihar, have sought custody of Kashmiri youth.
A top police officer of the State reportedly spoke to Director General of Police (DGP) Bihar, Abhay Anand and sought details of the detentions.
“The Kashmir Police has sought custody of the militants and their family members to ensure that they were not formally arrested as the SSB had recovered 10 Cell phones, one Pakistani SIM card and Rs 50,000 currency from them, which was enough to make out a case against them,” sources said.
They pointed out that one of the four militants, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar happened to be a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen supremo and United Jehad Council chief Syed Salah-ud-Din. However, they appeared to have fallen apart as Salah-ud-Din was opposed to return plan of Dar.
According to sources, the militants, who had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in late nineties, had settled there after initial spell of training. Three of them had married local girls and had children from them.
They had flown from Karachi to Kathmandu and then entered Bihar from Indo-Nepal border. However, before they could proceed further to Jammu in a train for their onward journey to Kashmir, the SSB nabbed them.
Sources said a guide had reportedly accompanied the Kashmiri militants and their family members right up to the border but didn’t enter into this side. He returned after the militants safely crossed the border.
“As many Intelligence agencies had become active along Indo-Nepal border at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, four militants took Bihar route to enter into this side but were captured,” sources said.
These were the first detentions of Kashmiri militants returning from Pakistan/PoK after the arrest of Liyaqat Shah by New Delhi police last month, which had triggered uproar in the Assembly.
After the State Government announced Rehabilitation Policy for the former militants returning from Pakistan and PoK without weapons from four identified routes, about 150 such persons along with their family members had come back to the State via Nepal border after taking flights from Karachi to Kathmandu.
Nearly 700 former militants had applied for return under the Rehabilitation Policy through their families here but all those, who have come back so far, took Nepal route, which was not part of the Rehabilitation Policy.
Four legal routes for the militants to take advantage of Rehabilitation Policy included Chakan-Da-Bagh (Poonch-Rawlakote), Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir, Wagah border in Amritsar district of Pakistan and Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
Sources said the militants, or former militants, were unable to take these routes due to presence of Pakistani Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on these routes.
The Indian Intelligence agencies were also worried that some of the militants, though not active now, could be used by the militants present in the State to revive the dying militancy. Moreover, most of the militants were returning with Pakistani wives, who could also pose a security risk at some stage.
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