Thaindian News

Chandigarh, July 12 (IANS) Kashif Ali, the suspected Pakistani spy who was arrested here two days ago, had duped government departments and banks during his over two-year stay here. He had a driving licence, voter ID card and even a PAN card - all procured on the basis of fake documents, police said Monday.
Ali’s rented accommodation in Sector 44, from where he was arrested Saturday, was raided and police seized various documents and a digital camera. Ali, 24, a resident of Faisalabad in Pakistan’s Punjab province, is suspected to have sent vital defence information from India to his country.

“We have recovered a driving licence that was issued by a New Delhi transport authority, a voter identity card with a Chandigarh address, PAN (permanent account number) card and a high school certificate issued by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB),” a police official said.

“We have also recovered a receipt of the Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh. Ali admitted that he had entered India through Nepal. He had stayed in New Delhi and at Bikaner before coming to Chandigarh. He had bank accounts in Axis Bank and at Union Bank of India,” he added.

The seizure of these documents highlights the loopholes in the intelligence wing of police in Chandigarh.

“We are looking into all aspects of this matter and trying to ascertain the links of Ali with other people in Chandigarh and in other states. We will also check how he managed to procure all these documents on the basis of fake papers,” Inspector (crime branch) Amanjot Singh told IANS.

Ali, who was sent to police custody by a local court, had moved an application in court seeking permission to talk to his family through two Pakistan phone numbers.

The court granted him permission to talk to his family members in the presence of the investigation officer and also directed police to record the conversation.

Police had also detained two of Ali’s friends here - Santosh, 24, and Rajeev, 23, - who were in close contact with him.

“We also questioned Ali’s landlord about people who came to meet him. We have found that two women who are working in a beauty parlour here were coming to meet him at regular intervals. He did not talk to his neighbours and had told his landlord that he was into the real estate business,” the police official said.

Inspector General of Police Pradeep Srivastava had earlier told reporters: “Ali admitted that he had taken weaponry training from Pakistan. He was collecting vital information regarding (the army’s) Western Command headquarters at Chandimandir (in neighbouring Panchkula town) and the air force station here and was passing it to Pakistan.”