Family of held ‘JeM’ operative claims he was arrested in February

Alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Sajjad Khan’s family says he was arrested on February 16 along with other six other Kashmiri shawl vendors and said he was innocent, claiming he was earning a livelihood by selling shawls.

The family of arrested alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Sajjad Khan claimed he had been arrested by the police more than a month ago, and not on March 21. The family’s allegations come a day after the Delhi Police’s special cell arrested Khan, allegedly a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir’s.

The family of arrested alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Sajjad Khan claimed he had been arrested by the police more than a month ago, and not on March 21.(HT Photo)

Khan’s family says he was arrested on February 16 along with other six other Kashmiri shawl vendors and said he was innocent, claiming he was earning a livelihood by selling shawls.

The suspect’s family, who live in Handoora village in Tral Pulwama said Khan, had gone to Delhi with other people from across the district in search of work, and had all been arrested.

“My son, along with other youths, was arrested in a raid on February 16. It is baseless that my son was arrested on March 21. I went to Delhi and met officials there and remained there for 24 days. They (officials) assured me that my son will be released very soon, but they neither allowed me to meet him, nor did they give me a chance to see him,’’ said his father, Ghulam Nabi Khan.

He said officials in Delhi told him to go home and that his son would be released and sent home without any harm. “I reached home three days ago, and now they are saying my son was arrested on March 21. If I am lying about hism being arrested last month, the other Kashmiri persons who were arrested with my son can reveal the true story, if they are released soon. They have framed incorrect charges against my son.’’

Ghulam Nabi said two of his sons had been killed, allegedly by security forces, after which Sajjad went to Delhi. Sajjad’s brothers were both militants, and were killed last year in two separate operations.The special cell on Friday termed Sajjad Khan a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir and said he was arrested near the Lajpat Rai market late Thursday night.