Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 6: Even as some Central Intelligence agencies and Jammu based organisations including some political parties have been questioning return of Kashmiri militants from Pakistan and PoK, three more militants last night crossed into Indian side from Nepal border via Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh and were captured by Seema Shastra Bal (SSB).
A Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) team has reached Bahraich to take custody of the militants even as Special Cell of Delhi Police also wanted to quiz one of the militants.
Official sources identified the three arrested militants as Mohammad Akbar Lone son of Khazar Mohammad Lone R/o Karalkon, Kupwara, Mohammad Shaffi War son of Mohammad Siddiqui War, a resident of Sopore, Baramulla and Manzoor Ahmad Jasgar son of Abdullah Fateh Jasgar R/o Tangmarg, Baramulla.
Lone and Shaffi belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit while Jasgar was affiliated with Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
Official reports received here today said that the militants had intruded into village Rupaideeha in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh from Nepal last night after taking flight to Kathmandu from Karachi in Pakistan. All three militants were alone and not with wives and children like the other militants sneaking into India after the announcement of Rehabilitation Policy of Jammu and Kashmir Government, endorsed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
They were reported to have disclosed before the SSB, which has been deployed on Nepal border, that they were not married to Pakistani girls like other militants, who had married in Pakistan or PoK due to their prolonged stay in the country, where they had gone for arms training in nineties.
The SSB had sounded Uttar Pradesh Police, Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police about arrest of the militants. On getting information about detention of the militants by the SSB, a Jammu and Kashmir Police team immediately left for Bahraich to take their custody.
Sources said Special Cell of Delhi Police has also sought the custody of Manzoor Ahmad Jasgar of JKLF as his activities were doubtful. However, it was learnt that that the SSB was likely to handover custody of the militants to JKP on the ground that they were wanted in Kashmir.
The JKP was also unlikely to oblige Delhi Police by handing over them the custody of Jasgar especially after the episode Liyaqat Shah, who was detained by Delhi Police after entering India from Nepal and charged with terror plot to trigger blasts in shopping mall. Investigations in his case were later handed over to National Investigating Agency (NIA). On the basis of NIA investigations, he was granted bail.
Though the families of all three militants in Kashmir had applied for their return under Rehabilitation Policy of the Government, the Nepal route taken by them for return was not prescribed under the Policy.
Four routes prescribed under the Rehabilitation Policy included Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir, Poonch-Rawlakote in Jammu, both falling on the Line of Control (LoC), Wagah border in Punjab on the International Border (IB) and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.
However, according to sources, the Kashmiri militants returning from Pakistan and PoK wouldn’t be entitled to the benefits of Rehabilitation Policy if they didn’t take the prescribed route. So far, Nepal route was being treated as illegal route for crossing and the militants along with their families were being produced before the court for the charges of ingress.
About 270 militants and their Pakistani wives and children have reached their houses in Jammu and Kashmir after the announcement of Rehabilitation Policy by the State Government.
Worthwhile to mention here that various Central Intelligence Agencies and some Jammu based organisations have voiced serious concern over return of the militants under the Rehabilitation Policy, which, they feared, posed “grave security risk’’.
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