Putting an end to the unsavory controversy, NIA is likely to give clean chit to liaquat Shah, arrested by the Delhi Police as a suspected terrorist on an alleged mission to conduct bomb blasts in the Capital.
According to sources, NIA has found no reason to disbelieve liaquat’s version of the story that he came to India via Nepal as per the rehabilitation policy offered to surrendered militants by the Jammu & Kashmir Government. Sources said the NIA had limited its probe to look into the motive of liaquat to return to India after 24 years. liaquat crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1989 from Kashmir.
The NIA is not probing the recovery of arms and ammunition from a guest house in Jama Masjid area reportedly on liaquat’s confession. “We only tried to ascertain if he is a surrendered militant and what was his motive,” said an official. “There is nothing to show he was here to execute any terror plot,” he added. Sources said, the Government may ask the Delhi Police not to oppose liaquat’s bail plea. liaquat may be released on bail, said sources indicating the matter to be settled for forever from this point onwards.
Sources said despite massive protest by the Jammu & Kashmir Government, the Home Ministry is unlikely to initiate any action against the officials of the Delhi Police for alleged violation of human rights by arresting an “innocent man” and portraying him as a terrorist.
According to sources, the NIA has concluded about liaquat’s innocence on the basis of approval papers of the J&K Government on his rehabilitation. The NIA has also taken into account the feedback from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officers, who had first come into contact with liaquat at the border. The Delhi Police had claimed that they arrested liaquat from Gorakhpur. later, they claimed to have picked him from the SSB’s check post in Sanauli, on the India-Nepal border.
Delhi Police’s Special Cell was pushed on the back foot when the J&K Government claimed that it had permitted liaquat to enter India under the rehabilitation policy. Though the Delhi Police first claimed they arrested liaquat on a tip-off from Intelligence Bureau, but they changed their version and claimed that the tip-off was from their internal sources.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had ordered a probe by NIA to check the conflicting claims of the Delhi Police and the J&K Government.
liaquat’s arrest was announced by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on March 22. The police also linked his arrest to the seizure of arms and ammunition from a guest house near Jama Masjid. The police officials claimed the haul was based on the confession of liaquat, who was planning to conduct bomb blasts in Delhi during Holi to avenge the hanging of Afzal Guru. liaquat is presently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody till April 30.