Jammu: A police man arrested on charges of
assisting militants while remaining absent on duty nine years
ago has been sentenced to three years imprisonment under the
stringent Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Farid Ahmed, serving as a constable in Udhampur district
in 2001, was awarded the sentence by Presiding Officer of POTA
Court R S Jain yesterday.
Sentencing the accused, he observed, "In view of the
facts of the case and looking to the voluntary nature of his
confessional statement, accused Farid Ahmed is sentenced to
imprisonment for a period of three years and has to pay a fine
of Rs 1,000 under section 3(4) POTA".
According to the prosecution case, Ahmed remained absent
from his duty as a police man serving in Udhampur district
from September 29, 2001 till November 11, 2001 and during this
period he was assisting militants of Mahore area for spreading
their activities.
Accordingly, he was charge sheeted for the offence under
section 3 of POTA.
In his confessional statement, which was recorded under
the direction of SSP Poonch, he stated that four terrorists of
his village whom he knew personally used to come to his house
occasionally.
In July 1999, when he had gone home on holiday, all four
came to his house and asked for Rs 50,000 as charity but
he gave Rs 5,000 cash and food to them, he had told the
authorities.
Sometimes, foreign terrorists also visited his house with
these four local militants, he told his interrogators.
PTI
