Hizbul operative remanded in judicial custody

Maharajganj: Suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative Naseer Ahmed was on Saturday remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a court here.

The CJM court sent Naseer, arrested by the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) from Sonauli on India-Nepal border earlier this month, to judicial remand, government counsel Raghuvansh Shukla said.

The court had earlier remanded Naseer in 12-day police custody as the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad wanted to question him.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had also sought his remand citing cases lodged against him there but the court disallowed it.

Naseer Ahmed alias Sadiq (34), hailing from Banihal in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, was held on May 13 from Sonauli border post in Mahrajganj.

He was trying to sneak into India from Nepal in the guise of a carpet vendor, and was nabbed by the SSB, which guards the 1,751-km-long open border.

Naseer was carrying a Pakistani passport and an identity card showing that he was a resident of Lala Musa village in Punjab province of Pakistan. He was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh ATS for further investigation.

Naseer had joined Hizbul Muzahideen in 2002-03 and moved to Pakistan. He was allegedly involved in a number of terrorist activities.

In 2002, he sustained bullet injuries during an encounter with the Army in Banihal.

Naseer was residing in Pakistan since September, 2003, and was allegedly involved in many attacks against civilians and security forces including an attack on an STF camp in India in 2003.

He was sent to India by his handler for a specific mission, according to an SSB spokesperson had said.

The paramilitary, based on initial interrogation of the terrorist, said he and his accomplice Mohd Shafi landed in Kathmandu on May 10 from Faisalabad in Pakistan via Sharjah.

The SSB said Naseer reached the Indo-Nepal border in a bus with an intention to sneak into Indian territory and carry out terror activities in India.

"He was in touch with a handler from India, who used to deposit money, in his account, off and on. On his instructions, he came to India for undertaking terrorist activities but was apprehended by the SSB," the SSB said.