Author:
Publication: The Economic
Times
Date: September 7, 2000
For the first time, Nepal
on Tuesday extradited a Pakistani national to India after police recovered
35 kg of RDX from him and others in a hotel in Kathmandu. The Pakistani
was identified as Mustaq ahas Safi. It was the biggest haul by the police
in Nepal.
Meanwhile, in Lucknow,
two former Army majors and two Nepali citizens were arrested today as the
police busted an alleged spy ring accused of passing military secrets to
Pakistan.
Coming as it does after
intelligence agencies put tabs on a UP group, Students' Islamic Movement
of India (SIMI), there are signs that India is tightening the screws on
all forms of militancy in this country, which the government believes is
coming from across the border aimed at long-term destabilisation of this
country.
Two SIMI activists arrested
in Agra and Aligarh confessed to triggering blasts in the Sabarmati Express
on August 14, in Kanpur and Lucknow.
Today's incidents once
again focused attention on the vulnerability of the Terai region in western
UP which has become a fertile ground for terrorists to infiltrate from
Nepal into India.
Backed by the proliferating
madarassas in the border districts, these areas have become a hotbed for
terrorist activities.
Nepal's co-operation
in vigilance matters has been enhanced after the recent visit of the Nepalese
prime minister and India's strong message after the Kandahar hijacking.
In today's Lucknow arrests,
to serving Army officers are suspected and police allege the secret documents
were destined for a Pakistan embassy official in Nepal.
"Five agents were arrested
red-handed exchanging military secrets to be handed over to a Pakistan
embassy official in Katmandu," senior superintendent of police Arun Kumar
said in Lucknow.
He said the two Nepalis,
the two former Army majors, and a fifth, a civilian, were arrested early
today at the Sharma Hotel in the heart of Lucknow.
"This organised espionage
racket has a definite base at the state headquarters, with active involvement
of serving Army officials," Mr Kumar said.
Further investigations
are being made to establish which serving officers may have passed on military
secrets, he said. Mr Kumar would not divulge the nature of documents he
said former majors were passing to Nepalis but said the information could
harm India's national interests.
In the Army, majors do
not have access to top secrets but have information about troop strength
and positions.
A Special Task Force
in Uttar Pradesh had been watching the five men as they used fax machines,
made phone calls from public booths and rented cars in the Lucknow area,
Mr Kumar said.
The task force officers
swooped in on the five at the hotel during the early hours today.
Mr Kumar identified the
Nepalis as Shakir, a ward commissioner in Viratnagar for the Rashtriya
Pajatantrik Party, a Nepali political party; and his associate, Naushad,
alleged to be the contact man for the Pakistan embassy official. Many Nepalis
use only one name.
Mr Kumar refused to name
the Pakistan embassy official alleged to be an agent for the Pakistan Inter-Services
Intelligence Agency but said it would be revealed later.
He said that Taj Mohammed
Sheikh, a former Army major from Sangroor district in Punjab, who was court-martialled
and dismissed in '95; and retired major Sant Ram Rai, of Mau, in Uttar
Pradesh, were handing over documents when police raided the room.
Another Indian, Shamim
Ahmed Khan, of Bhasti, alleged to be a handler or go-between, was also
arrested, he said.
Mr Kumar would not say
immediately on what charge Sheikh had been court-martialled.
He said the former majors
were being paid $600 per transition.
The Special Task Force
"worked the whole night to establish the links and identity of the arrested
ISI agents," Mr Kumar said. "We are now working on a definite possibility
of links with serving Army officials, who provide them sensitive military
secrets. This operation would result in some more arrests in days to come."
The additional director-general
of police, Ganeshwar Jha, told AP the task force had seized bank books
and other documents showing "huge investment" by the accused.
"This is the biggest
catch after we arrested a Bangladeshi origin ISI agent in Jhansi two months
ago," Mr Jha said.
