The J&K police on Tuesday hinted at tougher layers of scrutiny for those who intend to study in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), as DGP Dilbagh Singh claimed 57 youth have joined militancy on valid visa documents.
“Of the 57 youth who went to the other side of Kashmir on valid visa and documents but joined militancy, 17 returned along with weapons and got killed in encounters. Thirteen are still active on this side and 17 are still living across, who are under a constant watch of the J&K police,” DGP Singh said at a press conference in Rajouri.
DGP Singh said the visa procedure and security clearance will be made further strict in the wake of local youth travelling to PoK on the pretext of studies and tourism and ending up joining militancy.
He said launch pads of militants across the Line of Control “are full”. “The security forces have strengthened the anti-infiltration grid both at the LoC and hinterland to foil all bids of infiltration,” DGP Singh said.
On the recent encounter in Rajouri, he said information about the presence of a group of terrorists in Pangai village was received on August 5.
“During an encounter, two terrorists were neutralised. Subsequently, one of them has been identified as Ramees Ahmad Tantray, son of Mohd Yusuf Tantray, a resident of Ramnagri, Shopian, who had travelled to Pakistan on a valid Indian passport in February 2018 and was not known to have returned thereafter. The identity of the second terrorist is yet to be ascertained,” the DGP said.