Author: Excelsior Correspondent
Publication: The Daily Excelsior
Date: October 12, 2001
http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/01oct12/news.htm#4
KATHUA, Oct 11: Of five harbourers
of the terrorists, arrested by police from across the district for their
involvement in the killings of two brothers and other incidents, one has
turned out to be a student of degree college. Hostel of the college, where
he had been putting up, was oftenly frequented by the terrorists of Hizbul
Mujahideen's Shakeel Ansari group, thus, putting lives of hostel students
to risk.
Mohd Ashraf, a resident of Lohai
Malhar presently putting up in village Deoal, was a Part-III student of
BA in degree college Kathua.
SP Kathua Manohar Singh, who supervised
the operation leading to arrest of five harbourers of the terrorists including
a woman, confirmed that Ashraf was a college student and had also been
allotted a room in the hostel.
Singh didn't confirm a report received
from some reliable sources that another student of degree college as well
as hostel was absconding. Reports were that a room-mate of Mohd Ashraf
in the hostel hasn't appeared before police even after being sent a call.
The boy was pleading innocence but was hesitant to report to police, reports
said.
Sources said all five Shakeel Ansari
group's activists have made 'very important' disclosures during their interrogation.
After interrogation, all five were today dispatched to Joint Interrogation
Centre (JIC) in Jammu.
Mohd Ashraf reportedly disclosed
during interrogation that terrorists of Shakeel Ansari group used to meet
him in the college hostel and convey movement of the terrorists. Several
top terrorists had also called on Ashraf in the hostel, making the hostel
a security risk.
However, such a serious security
lapse went on unnoticed till Ashraf was arrested. Surprisingly, headquarters
of a para-military force were also located just opposite the college hostel
building.
A woman harbourer of the terrorists
Shamsad Begum, who was among those arrested by police and sent to JIC today,
told her interrogators that she used to help the terrorists in reaching
safely to their hideouts in upper reaches of Udhampur.
Shamshad, as per the modus-operandi
revealed by her, used to walk about two kms ahead of the terrorist group,
carrying a child tied to her back. She carried a powerful wireless set
under her clothes and conveyed clearance of track or otherwise to the terrorists
following her.
This way, the sources said, 30-year
old Shamsad Begum had helped several terrorist groups from Pakistan to
reach safely to upper reaches of Udhampur and Doda districts. Infact, the
woman herself couldn't recall as to how many groups she helped in reaching
their hideouts.
"This indicated how important the
arrest of Shamsad Begum and her associates was", the sources said.
Other three harbourers of the terrorists
have also made sensational disclosures, the sources said, adding they wouldn't
like to share all revelations at this juncture when investigations of the
case were in initial stage.
