Suspected LeT operative Saleem Khan (ANI)
Alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Saleem Khan, from UP’s Fatehpur district, who was caught soon after he landed at Mumbai airport from the UAE on Sunday night, was being brought to Lucknow by the UP ATS. Saleem is an accused in a case and faces the charge of providing money to alleged trained ISI agent Aftab Ali, who was arrested from Faizabad district in May. Saleem had been staying in the UAE for last nine years.
IG, ATS, Asim Kumar Arun said, “Saleem’s name had earlier come to light during questioning of Shareef and Mohammad Kausar, who are facing trial in the case of Rampur CRPF camp attack on December 31, 2007. Shareef and Kausar had reportedly revealed that Saleem too was part of the Lashkar training camp in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan in 2007 where the duo met him.”
Central intelligence agencies had got a lookout notice issued since after his name came to light as being an alleged Lashkar operative. The UP ATS, however, wanted Saleem in a case after they arrested Aftab Alam from his house in Faizabad on May 3. Aftab was accused of sending information about Indian Army movement to the ISI and also being in touch with an officer in Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Aftab is lodged at Lucknow jail. IG, ATS, said that during questioning, Aftab told the police Saleem used to issue instructions to him from abroad over phone and also sent money in exchange of information. The investigation has found Saleem had sent money to Aftab thrice.
Aftab had claimed to have met Saleem in Pakistan around eight months ago. While Saleem’s family members were not accessible, station officer of Hathgawan police station Vinod Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that they had visited Saleem’s house where his younger brother Kaleem said Saleem had left for Dubai around nine years ago and never contacted anybody in the family since then.
