Truck drivers in army-styled fatigues cause panic in Maharashtra

Three men in army-style fatigues sparked panic in Panvel on Saturday afternoon, two days after ‘suspicious’ men put security agencies on tenterhooks in Mumbai.

Three trucker drivers in army-style fatigues caused some panic in Panvel on Saturday afternoon, two days after ‘suspicious’ men were spotted in Mumbai.The men were temporarily detained, and later released after being verified.

Police keep a lookout along the Mumbai coast in Colaba, after a high alert was issued on September 23, 2016.(Kunal Patil/ HT Photo)

The incident happened near Gavhanphata when three Kashmiris were found near a container truck wearing army-styled uniforms. A passing group of Central Industrial Security Force troopers spotted the men and accosted them.

Senior police inspector Sunil Bajare said the three were taken to the Panvel police station and questioned, where they explained that they were formerly soldiers but now worked for a truck company. They were on their way to deliver a consignment when they were taken in.

Their credentials were later vouched for by an official from their company.

Navi Mumbai Police commissioner Hemant Nagrale dismissed the case saying the three had been verified.

The incident caused some unease coming on the heels of suspects being spotted by school students in Uran on Thursday, barely 30 km away in Panvel.

Though police have been attempting to track the suspects, no headway has been made so far. Security vigilance was increased across Mumbai and along the Gujarat coast as a safety measure.

Read | Kashmir: Army hunts for militants, finds two runaway teens from PoK

India has also seen increased military action on its borders with Pakistan following last Sunday’s terror attack that claimed 18 soldiers’ lives in Uri. Since then, the army said it foiled more than two infiltration bids in northern Kashmir along the Line of Control.

The Uri attack has become a major flashpoint between India and Pakistan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly taking on Islamabad at a public rally in Kerala on Saturday. India also called on the international community to designate Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.