JK govt had informed home ministry on Liyaqat's return

The arrest of suspected terrorist Liyaqat Shah has taken a new twist with fresh evidence pointing to the J&K govt informing the home ministry about his possible return to India under the UPA government approved militant rehabilitation policy. Shishir Gupta reports.

The arrest of suspected terrorist Liyaqat Shah has taken a new twist with fresh evidence pointing to the Jammu and Kashmir government informing the Union home ministry as early as January 2013 about his possible return to India under the UPA government approved militant rehabilitation policy.

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While home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde decided that the entire controversy over Shah arrest be probed by National Investigation Agency (NIA), the process of formally handling over the inquiry will be completed on Tuesday as top ministry officials were still ascertaining the views of Delhi Police and JKP till late Monday evening.

Top government sources said that on January 21, 2013, the Inspector General of State CID sent a report to joint secretary in home ministry about 422 “returnees” from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Kashmir. The name of Liyaqat Shah was on the list with his correct address in Lolab, Kashmir.

What makes the case more intriguing is that IG CID had send the list of 422 returnees in response to a home ministry letter two days before.

Although the Delhi Police has been pointing to terror alerts issued by Intelligence Bureau’s multi-agency Centre in March to point out infiltration of Kashmiri terrorists via Nepal border, the three alerts in question are generic and do not refer to Liyaqat in person.

“The Delhi Police will find itself in tight corner when it will be revealed by NIA inquiry that both State CID as well as the IB had refused to confirm Liaquat as a terrorist after he was picked up by Special Celll team at Sanuali border on March 20, 2013,” said a senior official.