J&K cops return empty handed

THE JAMMU and Kashmir police team from whose custody a Lashker-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorist of Pakistani origin had escaped on January 18 went back empty-handed. Reason: the terrorist who was nabbed by villagers the same day was not allowed by a court to be taken to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Jammu and Kashmir police prayed before chief judicial magistrate, Varanasi, MP Chaudhary that they be allowed to take the terrorist to the State for which they had already sought permission from a chief judicial magistrate in West Bengal.

The judge rejected their plea on the ground that the terrorist now faced charges in Varanasi after he fled from the train and was to be produced before the court once again on January 28.

The Jammu and Kashmir police decided to leave for the State on Sunday.
The four-member counter intelligence team of J&K Police was joined by their senior officer Shamsher Singh Parihar, who rushed here from Jammu after news of the terrorists’ escape spread.

Abu Ali Ahmed of Chuckak village in Okara district of Punjab province in Pakistan was being taken to Jammu by the Sealdah Express from West Bengal when he gave a four-member J and K police team the slip and jumped off the running train on January 18 near Varanasi.

He was nabbed by villagers of Parmanandpur under Shivpur police station 13 hours after his escape. The terrorist was being taken by J&K police to the State for interrogation after seeking permission from a court in West Bengal.
He was earlier lodged in Balurghat jail in West Bengal.

The police escorts had remained in Varanasi since the terrorists’ escape and his subsequent arrest.

First Published: Jan 23, 2006 00:34 IST