ATS questions Pak woman Seema Haider, Indian partner for second day, kids also quizzed

Haider had earlier told the Gautam Budh Nagar police that she crossed over to India through the Nepal border in Bihar’s Sitamani on May 13.

Suspense over the cross-border “love story” of Pakistan national Seema Ghulam Haider and her Indian partner Sachin Meena deepened amid concern over her uncle and brother being in the Pakistan army.

On Monday, the duo was taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad (UP-ATS) and quizzed for nearly eight hours before being allowed to return to Meena’s home in Greater Noida’s Rabupura. (PTI)

On July 4, the Gautam Budh Nagar police arrested Haider for illegally entering India without a visa via Nepal with her four children -- all aged below seven years – while Meena and his father were arrested for sheltering the illegal immigrant. All three are currently out on bail.

On Monday, the two were taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad (UP-ATS) and quizzed for nearly eight hours before being allowed to return to Meena’s home in Greater Noida’s Rabupura. The questioning continued on Tuesday, officials said. Additionally, the ATS personnel also questioned Haider’s two older children, aged eight and seven years.

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Haider had earlier told the Gautam Budh Nagar police that she crossed over to India through the Nepal border in Bihar’s Sitamani on May 13.

“The duo was questioned for hours on Tuesday. Haider was asked about her kin in Pakistan and claims that her uncle and brother were in the Pakistan army. She denied the claims, and said her brother was preparing for recruitment to the army,” said an ATS source, asking not to be named.

The source said an expert team of the UP-ATS scanned the mobile phones of Haider and Meena and tried retrieving data of the past several months so that their online activities could be analysed to ascertain her intention behind entering India.

Police are currently verifying identity proofs and other documents of Haider and her four children. Prashant Kumar, special director general (law and order), on Monday said the exercise was part of a general inquiry conducted on all Pakistan nationals living in India without proper documentation.

As per her claims, Haider met Meena while playing PubG, the online multiplayer game that grew in popularity during the pandemic. They began private conversations, and eventually fell in love. According to the two, they first met in Nepal in March 2023, where they got married, and two months later, Seema completed a daring escape from Pakistan with her four children, via Dubai and India’s porous borders with Nepal, to arrive in Greater Noida.

Indian authorities are now investigating the possibility of whether Haider is a spy. The Gautam Budh Nagar police had earlier indicated that they found no clear evidence of espionage. The probe was handed over to the ATS later.

Anand Kulkarni, additional commissioner of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “The UP-ATS informed the local Greater Noida police that they will be questioning Haider, Meena and Singh in relation to concerns regarding national security. When the three were arrested by Gautam Budh Nagar police last month, central agencies and the UP-ATS were alerted by us via a letter. Hence, they are carrying out investigations on their end,” he said.

(With inputs from Ashni Dhaor)