The Hindu : Karnataka News : Upset Kashmiris want to take the first train home

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Monday, Feb 04, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Upset Kashmiris want to take the first train home

Firoz Rozindar

Conditional release for three suspects detained by police

They were detained following a complaint
by some people
We will never come to this place again: Saif

Chitradurga: The conditional release of three Kashmiris, who were detained by the police, on Sunday has brought them relief.

On Friday, the police picked up Saif Ali (43) Mohammad Junaid (23) and his younger brother Imtiyaz Ahmed (16) for questioning. While Ali is from Rajouri district, the brothers are from Udhampur district.

The police said they had been detained following a complaint by a few people who had become suspicious about their movements.

While the police said that they were picked up on Friday, the detainees maintained that they were taken into custody four days ago.

Speaking to The Hindu after their release, Junaid said that the police had released them on the condition that they stayed in the city for another three days till the verification was over.

“They told us that they have sent our details to the Kashmir police for verification. After the clarification, they said we would be released.”

Superintendent of Police Labhu Ram confirmed that the police could not lay their hands on anything that strengthened their suspicion. However, they had been asked to stay here for three more days.

Describing their experience, Saif said: “We will never come to this place again.”

Thanking God for the release, he said he wanted to talk to his family in Kashmir.

The Kashmiris said they did not know why they were kept in the police station for four days.

“The police did not tell us anything, and never allowed us to speak to our relatives,” he said.

“We want the catch the first train home,” Junaid said.

“We never knew that coming here would land us in such trouble,” Junaid said.

Meanwhile, Sadiqullah, advocate and trustee of Horapete mosque, said that people coming to Chitradurga to seek donations was nothing new.

On the detention, he said the mosque committee was not against questioning of people, provided the police consulted the local representatives of any mosque before detaining anyone.

“This would prevent innocent people from suffering,” he said.

Interrogation

Girish Pattanashetti reports from Dharwad:

Mohammed Asif, the final year MBBS student of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) who is under police scanner for his association with terror suspect Asadullah Abubakar, was handed over to sleuths of Corps of Detectives (CoD) here on Sunday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (CoD) S.S. Koth and other officials took Mohammed Asif into custody at the Vidyagiri police station on Sunday and began his interrogation.

It might be recalled that the local court had permitted Hubli-Dharwad police to keep Asif in their custody till February 7 for interrogation. Now, as per the order of the Director-General of Police, the case has been handed over to the CoD.

SIMI activist

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that Asif was an active member of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

During interrogation, Asif admitted that he was a SIMI activist and had given names of fifteen others who were associated with the banned organisation, the sources revealed.

During interrogation, it was found that Asif was well versed with views of the Islamic radicals and used to give lectures, the sources said.

However, except for some books, allegedly containing “jehadi” material, CDs and a pen drive, no other article had been recovered from Asif so far.

CoD custody for two

Davangere Staff Correspondent reports:

Riyazuddin Nasir alias Mohammed Ghouse and Asadulla Abubakar were handed over to the CoD on Sunday.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police (CoD) Alok Kumar had come to Davangere and interrogated the two.

The CoD may take the two to Bangalore on Monday for further investigations, including brain mapping and narco analysis.

Plans

Meanwhile, police sources said that Nasir confessed to hatching plans to plant bombs at certain places on Republic Day and the arrest of the two had averted a major tragedy.

Expressing concern over some reports in a section of the press, a senior police officer to the media not to mislead the public and create a kind of fear psychosis among it.

He pointed out that the police would reveal to the press the facts at an appropriate time.

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