NIA chief to brief Doval on Pak militant Naved's interrogation ahead of NSA-level talks

Srinagar: NIA chief Sharad Kumar is likely to brief National Security Advisor A K Doval on the progress made so far in probing arrested Pakistani militant Mohammed Naved Yakub ahead of the NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan, sources in the anti-terror agency said on Thursday.

Kumar flew down to Srinagar on Thursday to review the progress made during the interrogation of Naved, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, who was captured by locals after the recent terror strike on a BSF bus at Udhampur in Jammu which left two personnel of the border guarding force dead.

Sources in the agency said some people with whom Naved came into contact during his stay in Jammu and Kashmir may also be questioned.

Kumar, sources said, was likely to return on Friday and brief Doval about what transpired during Naved’s interrogation.

In Srinagar, Kumar met senior police officials and members of the NIA team, besides calling on state Governor N N Vohra.

“Kumar briefed the Governor about the working of NIA, which has been established as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of Government of India, and about the up-to-date status of the investigation in the recent Udhampur terror attack,” a spokesman for the Raj Bhawan said.

The NIA chief also met Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Commander of the strategic 15 corps as the army was interested in knowing about the route the terrorist had taken to enter the Kashmir valley.

Naved, who was brought to Srinagar on Wednesday after undergoing polygraph test in the national capital, was taken to various places during which he identified some of the people who had helped him during his stay in the Valley.

“We will take a call on whether to arrest some people or not by tomorrow,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.

The detailed analysis of the lie detector test on Naved is expected over the weekend, sources said.

NIA has also released two sketches of LeT terrorists, who were claimed to have infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg sector with Naved. The anti-terror agency has also announced a cash reward of Rs five lakh to anyone providing information leading to their arrest.

The NIA has also taken DNA and voice samples of Naved. Sources said the DNA sample would come in handy to prove the militant’s Pakistani nationality. While Naved has told his interrogators he is from Faisalabad in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Islamabad has been insisting he is not a Pakistani national.

PTI