Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 30: Police have arrested a Gujjar, who was absconding after the arrest of a Pakistani national whom he had given shelter for past two and a half years at village Hariya Chak on the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.
SSP Kathua Mohan Lal told the Excelsior that Hassan Din alias Noon Gujjar son of Alam Din, a resident of Hariya Chak was arrested late last night on the charges of giving shelter to Pakistani national, Mohammad Imran son of Gaffar Ahmad, a resident of Jalochak, district Sahiwal in Pakistan.
Imran was arrested by the alert BSF jawans from forward area on the intervening night of December 28 and 29 when he was trying to return to his country after two and a half years stay on this side.
Mohan Lal said police has taken the custody of Imran from the BSF and arrested Noon Gujjar. “We are subjecting both of them to sustained questioning and cross-examining at Rajbagh police station to ascertain any militant link,” he added.
Police have booked the Pakistani national under 14 Foreigners Act and Noon Gujjar for harbouring Pakistani national at Rajbagh police station of Kathua district.
Police said they were not ruling out anything at this stage including the militancy angle but apparently there was no evidence to suggest that the Pakistani national had come here for the purpose of militancy. Both of them would be sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) shortly for sustained questioning to ascertain motive of the Pakistani national in sneaking into India.
Police said Noon Gujjar has become suspect as despite knowing that Imran was a Pakistani national he didn’t inform police and continued to take work of labourer from him. Police added that Noon Gujjar had subjected Pakistani boy to worst kind of torture while taking work of labourer from him.
Imran has reportedly told police during questioning that he was trying to run away from the house of Noon Gujjar due to torture and return to Pakistan. He fled from the house when Noon and his family members were asleep and was heading towards Pakistan when the BSF arrested him.
Police, however, admitted that it was indeed a security lapse that a Pakistani national stayed put in the border village for past two and a half years without any check notwithstanding the fact that forward village of Hariya Chak was at the centre stage when three fidayeens had first appeared there in the morning of September 26 before carrying out twin terror attacks at Hiranagar police station in Kathua district and Mehsar Army camp in Samba in which four police personnel, four Army soldiers and two civilians were killed.
Army had eliminated three fidayeen at Mehsar Army camp.
The village Hariya Chak was located close to the International Border in Hiranagar sector.
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