Srinagar: Family members of Arsalan Feroz arrested by National Investigation Agency on charges of being a ‘TRF operative’, held a protest in Press Enclave here on Saturday.
Talking to media persons, the maternal aunt of the Srinagar youth said the arrested “child is innocent”. “He is studying in Class 12”, she said, adding “he was even taken a month before while we were told that they have to do some verification of his (mobile) phone”. “Had our child been guilty, would we send him on our own”, she said.
“He was released after forty days and it was said he is clear now”, she as per GNS said.
“Few days back, he had gone to his maternal home and in the meantime a raid was carried out by NIA sleuths at around 7 AM on our house to which we allowed. Had we anything to hide, would we ask them to carry out the searches?”
Asserting his innocence, the woman protestors, who had gathered here alongside several other relatives said he (youth) is innocent and asked for his release. “He is a student of Class 12th even roll slip and marks card is in their phones”, she said, adding “It can be asked from the locality, we even have the Mohalla president with us who knows nothing was found from our house.”
“We urge the government to investigate the matter, why was he labelled without any guilt”, she appealed.
Another male relative seconding the woman protestor said that he was in ‘Cargo’ – the headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir’s elite Special Operations Group – from where he was released after 40 days. “Five days before CID sleuths asked about his whereabouts and we informed them that he was home”, he said adding on Thursday morning, a raid was carried out by NIA and we asked to call him up from maternal house and he was taken along. “We came to know from (inter)net that he has been arrested on charges of being a stone pelter of Downtown and that he runs the gang of stone pelting and subsequently came to know that NIA has said of him to associated with TRF, recruiting and providing weapons to youth”, he said adding he is not involved in anything not even in stone pelting.
“Our family and mohalla residents have come here to demand his release”, he said.
Pertinently, National Investigation Agency on Friday issued a press statement claiming to have arrested ‘a TRF operative’ during raids in Srinagar in connection with case of radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K by LeT.
“Yesterday (30.12.2021), conducted search in Srinagar and arrested one TRF operative, Arsalan Feroz @ Arsalan Soub son of Feroz Ahmad Ahanger resident of Zaldagar, M. R. Gunj, Srinagar in Case No. RC 32/2021/NIA/DLI”, read the statement.
“The case relates to conspiracy hatched for radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of Jammu & Kashmir to effect violent activities in Jammu & Kashmir and rest of India by Sajjad Gul, Salim Rehmani @ Abu Saad and Saifullah Sajid Jutt, Commanders of LeT/TRF. In furtherance of the said criminal conspiracy they are recruiting individuals (OGWs) to carry out reconnaissance of pre determined targets, co-ordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and its frontal affiliate TRF. Till now 04 accused have been arrested in the instant case, the statement read.
“Search conducted yesterday led to recovery of several incriminating documents and digital devices. Investigation in the case continues, reads the statement”, it concluded. (GNS)
