The mystery surrounding the arrest of suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militant liaquat Shah deepened, with his wife and Delhi Police making contradictory claims. To add to the confusion, Kashmir Police has also refuted Delhi Police claims that Shah was planning a terror attack in the national Capital.
Shah’s wife on Sunday claimed the family was escorted by security personnel from the Nepal border to Gorakhpur when they were returning after applying for rehabilitation.
However, the Special Cell of Delhi Police maintained that with the help of his accomplices, Shah was planning big ‘fiyadeen’ attacks in posh South Delhi markets and malls.
Sources in Delhi Police also said Shah reportedly revealed the names and phone numbers of his associates based in Jammu & Kashmir to interrogators.
Meanwhile, Home Secretary RK Singh has said the decision on whether an enquiry is warranted in the liyaqat case will be taken after scrutiny of both the versions.
Sources said the Delhi Police was scrutinising the names and call records of numbers provided by Shah. Interrogators also claimed that memory cards recovered from Haji Arafat Guest House in Jama Masjid on Thursday night during the raid have video clippings of DlF Mall in Vasant Kunj, Select Citywalk in Saket, Sarojini Nagar market and Old Delhi markets.
Police sources also said that during the raids, the police team recovered ISD call slips.
“From the bills of the PCO booth, it is evident, that the person who was staying in the guest house had made calls on three ISD phone numbers of Pakistan and Nepal. We are trying to get some leads from these numbers. The suspected terrorist was in constant touch with Shah and his Pakistan-based commandant. One of the numbers belongs to a Pakistan-based Hizbul commandant, Irfan,” the sources said.
“Shah told the investigators that he was in constant touch with one Younis, a commandant of Hizbul Mujahideen based in Kathmadnu, Nepal, who has connections in diplomatic circles as he was apparently posted with a Pakistani Embassy.
He has been allegedly supplying logistical support to its terrorists entering India through Nepal. He was also in regular touch with the Pakistan-based handler, Irfan, who had reportedly booked the hotel room for him in Kathmandu where he stayed for one day,” the sources said.
The Delhi Police on Sunday released the sketch of one of the suspected terrorists, Mohammad.
“We have prepared the sketch on the basis of the CCTV footage and the description given by the hotel staff. Mohammad had submitted a driving license with a Haryana address as proof of identity at the guest house,” the officer added.
The investigators claimed two more operatives of Hizbul Mujahideen were hiding in the Capital.
Delhi Police also claimed that before the arrest of Shah, they received a similar input from the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) of the Home Ministry. Earlier police had claimed that the arrest was made following inputs from the Intelligence Bureau.
“MAC had informed us that a Pakistan-based terrorist would come to the Indo-Nepal border, but they did not disclose the identity of Shah,” a senior police officer said.
However, the police in Kashmir said that they have documents to prove that Shah was returning to the Valley under the Government’s special amnesty package for surrendered militants.
Director-General Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad said that the J&K Police were in constant touch with Delhi Police and were thoroughly examining the liyaqat case. “I have the form in which liyaqat had applied for permission to return under the rehabilitation policy,” Prasad told a news agency in Srinagar.
liaqat’s second wife, who accompanied him during his journey into India via Nepal said her husband was falsely implicated by the Delhi Police. She said they had decided to return to Kashmir after the State Government okayed their application for rehabilitation through the proper channels. “We would not have returned if we knew the consequences”, Akhtar-un-Nisa told reporters in Kashmir.
Akhtar-un-Nisa is a Kashmiri who went to Pakistan through the Wagah border along with her deaf and dumb daughter in 2005. She had married liyaqat in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
After Shah’s arrest, several former militants from Dardpora area have decided to reconsider their plans to return to their home, their relatives have told the local People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Abdul Haq Khan.
Nisa said they were arrested soon after entering Indian territory from Nepal even though they pleaded with the cops that they had submitted an application for rehabilitation through their relatives back home and were returning with the State Government’s permission.
She said that the family flew from Karachi to Kathmandu and embarked on a road journey before being arrested.