Afghan man deported from Nagpur has joined Taliban, say cops as his gun-wielding snap surfaces

Nagpur, August 20

An Afghan national, who was deported to his country from Nagpur in June this year after he was found staying here illegally, has apparently joined the Taliban and his picture holding a rifle has surfaced on social media, a senior police official said on Friday.

The Taliban has seized power in Afghanistan as it swept into capital Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

“The man, Noor Mohammad Ajiz Mohammad, 30, was found staying in Nagpur since the last 10 years illegally. He was living in a rented place in Dighori area of the city. Acting on a tip-off, the police had started keeping a watch on his activities. He was finally nabbed and deported to Afghanistan on June 23,” he said.

“After his deportation, he seems to have joined the Taliban and his photo holding a gun has emerged on social media,” he added.

During the probe earlier, police had found that he had come to Nagpur in 2010 on a six-month tourist visa. Later, he had applied to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) seeking a refugee status for himself, but his application was rejected. His appeal was also turned down by the UNHRC. Since then, he stayed in Nagpur illegally, the official said.

Another police official said that Noor Mohammad’s original name is Abdul Haque and his brother was working with the Taliban. Last year, Noor had floated a video on social media with a sharp-edged weapon.

After he was nabbed, police found that he had “entry and exit wounds” from a gunshot near his left shoulder, he said, adding that when his social media accounts were checked, it was found that he was following some terrorists whose videos of gun firing were available on social media.

“He was in the business of selling blankets and was unmarried. Police conducted searches at his rented accommodation, but did not find anything suspicious. His call details are also under the scanner of the police,” the official said. — PTI