Edgy over the recent arrest of four students from Haridwar, suspected to have terror link, State police issued high alert when around eight ‘suspicious’ persons were found moving around in Rajpur Police Station area on Monday night. However, they were later let off the hook with police stating on Wednesday evening that they were students of a private college having no truck with terror.
Dehradun SSP Dr Sadanand Date presented eight students before the media on Wednesday. They are Rajesh Sidhu, Nitin lama, Prayag Ram, Akash Astin, lakheer Kumar, Sundar Katija, Manish and Umesh Kumar. He said that they were returning from St Thomas Church after they had offered prayer there.
Police had to do volte face as on Tuesday morning, as none other than State DGP BS Sidhu had confirmed that eight suspected terrorists had been found roaming around the Rajpur area. A photograph of one of the suspects was released too on the part of the police by way of warning the people. The information triggered panic among the residents of the State while police pulled up their socks to hunt the ‘terrorists’.
A high alert in Dehradun and Haridwar and other parts of the State was issued. In Dehradun, SSP led teams comprising SOG, PAC and others launched vehicle checking drives at ISBT, Railway Station and at some important crossings. The police had also sealed the inter-state and inter district border areas. Some suspects had been questioned too. Police had sealed the Rajpur Police station area, in particular, and verification drive was conducted.
later Wednesday evening, sense dawned on the cops as they declared that the youths under terror scanner were innocent students of a private college.