Punjab police get transit remand of Poonch ‘spy’

Jammu, February 13

The Punjab Police today took the custody of an overground worker (OGW) from the Poonch Police in connection with the January 2 Pathankot airbase attack in which seven security personnel were killed.

Sajjad Hussain, a resident of Hari Marhot village of Surankote tehsil in Ponch was arrested on February 2.

A senior police officer told The Tribune that a Punjab Police team took Sajjad on transit remand this morning to question him in connection with the Pathankot attack. “Sajjad was in the custody of the Poonch Police and was subjected to questioning after he had received some foreign money in his bank account,” said a police source.

The Punjab Police had approached a local court for Sajjad’s transit remand and after due permission approached the Poonch Police for his custody. “At this stage, we cannot say for sure whether Sajjad was spying for ISI. But he is an OGW,” said the source.

The Pathankot Police had recently arrested Irshad Ahmed from the Mamoon Army Cantonment after he was found clicking pictures of vital equipment and installations from his mobile phone. Irshad was working as a labourer in the cantonment.

It has been learnt that Irshad, who was also arrested on February 2 and sent to Joint Interrogation Centre here, had made disclosures about Sajjad to his interrogators.

The Punjab Police has also held a youth from Moga for his alleged association with Irshad. Meanwhile, the police today arrested another OGW, Mohammed Hafiz, from the Jhullas area of Poonch for his alleged involvement in a militancy related case. — TNS