Prosecution of three Chinese intruders recommended

Leh: Security agencies have recommended to the Home Ministry prosecution of three Chinese intruders on the grounds that they had prior knowledge about Indian defence posts and routes taken by troops during patrolling in the higher reaches of Ladakh. The trio were questioned at a stretch by interrogators and there were contradictions in their statements about the route taken by them to enter into India, sources said here. The three -- Salamo, Abdul Khaliq and Adil Thorsong -- were detained on June 12 near Sultanchku in north of Ladakh and were kept separately at Margo post in the area. Their questioning led the interrogators to the conclusion that the three were lying about the route taken by them to enter India, the sources said. According to interrogators from security agencies, the three had knowledge about Indian posts and routes taken by the patrols to higher reaches along the Sino-India border but feigned ignorance about any Chinese camps across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), they said. While recommending prosecution of the three to the Union Home Ministry, the interrogation report said that the trio, who speak only in Yarkandi and Uyghur languages, could not give any basic details about Kargalilik of Xianjang province in which they claimed to have been living. The small political maps seized from the three were torn from local school books, the sources said. The agencies have expressed apprehension that the three could have been headed towards Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir which is barely 20 kms up north of the area where they were nabbed. The area where they were detained was in news as Indian and Chinese troops had a face-off for nearly 21 days from April 15 to May five, this year. Their claim that they entered India as they were mesmerised by Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan was seen as their diversionary tactics. The three, of whom one person is one-eyed, had also said earlier that they wanted to enter India to earn money as they were facing acute poverty in their region, the sources said. The trio said they wanted to come to India because they believed it was a land of prosperity, the sources said, but added that each of them gave a different version about their family background. Both summer and winter road links to this post were disconnected due to bad weather in Ladakh region this year and the authorities had to fly interrogators along with a translator to the Margo post. They were carrying improvised swords and knives, tinned food including egg powder (useful in higher region), Chinese currency of over 900 Yuan and Chinese leather jackets. The three claimed that the jackets, discarded by the Chinese troops, were picked up by them en route. According to the laid down procedure along the LAC, the custody of any accused apprehended in the area has to be with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and interrogation can be carried out by central security agencies. PTI