New Delhi: Three Pakistani nationals, who
were arrested in connection with blasts near the Red Fort nine
years ago, have escaped, leaving red faced the authorities
which sounded a red alert in the national capital and
neighbouring areas.
The incident took place yesterday when Abdul Razzak,
Mohammed Sadiq and Rafaqat Ali were being escorted to a
hospital for treatment by Meghalaya police personnel who were
on deputation to the Delhi Police's Special Branch, official
sources said here today.
The three, who were convicted under the Narcotic, Drug
and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act for possession of
heroin, were to be deported to Pakistan on completion of their
sentence. No other charge against the trio could be
substantiated.
Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat claimed the three
Pakistanis, who were in detention of the Foreigners Regional
Registration Office (FRRO), escaped while returning from a
medical check-up at a hospital.
Initially, the Delhi Police claimed the three were being
treated at G B Pant Hospital but had to withdraw it within
minutes after the hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr Shashi
Gururaj said the three had not come to the hospital.
"We have screened the list of patients who visited our
hospital for treatment. Neither today nor yesterday nor in the
last one month, any of those terrorists was found to have been
brought to our hospital for treatment," the Hospital's Medical
Superintendent said.
Later, Delhi Police clarified that the three were being
taken to Guru Nanak Eye Hospital.
FRRO denied it had anything to do with the three
Pakistanis saying the custody of such prisoners was always
with the Special Branch of the Delhi Police.
After the escape, Delhi Police registered a fresh case
against the trio for violating the restraint order of the
Foreigners Act, a senior police official said.
Home Ministry officials said a red alert was sounded in
Delhi and adjoining areas to nab the fleeing terrorists.
The three were arrested on October 30, 2000, from Rothak
and Delhi along with five other Pakistani nationals and a huge
quantity of arms and ammunition, including 17kg of high-grade
RDX and 50kg of heroin, was recovered from them.
The other five accused arrested with them were Kamaal
alias Billa, Riaz, Akhtar, Jameel, Aslam.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, January 03, 2010, 00:37