Shinde may order probe into row over militant’s arrest

Home Ministry will examine conflicting claims by Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir police

With the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Delhi police trading charges over the arrest of alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Liaquat, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is likely to order a probe into the whole controversy on Monday. File photo

With the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Delhi police trading charges over the arrest of alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Liaquat, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is likely to order a probe on Monday into the whole controversy.

While the J&K police are claiming that Liaquat was returning to the Valley as part of the State’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, the Delhi police have charged the alleged militant with hatching a conspiracy to carry out terror attacks during Holi in the capital. The Delhi police have claimed that the plot was hatched to avenge the hanging of the Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.

The Delhi police on Sunday released the sketch of another suspected terrorist who had stayed at Haji Arafat Guesthouse in the Old Delhi area and was part of the alleged Holi terror plot. They have reportedly submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry about the investigations.

After the Delhi police claimed to have busted a major terror plot by arresting Liaquat from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and subsequently raided the guesthouse on Thursday night and recovered arms and ammunition, the J&K police and the State government said he was headed for Kashmir.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah even asked Mr. Shinde to order a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the controversy. Notably, Liaquat was arrested along with his family members at the Sanauli checkpoint on the India-Nepal border on March 20.

The J&K police later supported the claims of Liaquat’s family that he was a former militant who had surrendered before the Sashastra Seema Bal at the Sanauli checkpoint.

Liaquat’s family had said he was returning from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after 15 years.

Referring to the controversy, a senior Home Ministry official said they were looking into the facts presented by both the Delhi police and the J&K police. “I will examine the case tomorrow [Monday] after my return to Delhi and then I will see whether a probe could be ordered or what next course of action could be taken in the case,” Mr. Shinde told a news agency.