Pak. national held in Vizag

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, MAY 6. The arrest of a Pakistani national in Visakhapatnam on Sunday for violation of visa rules has brought to the fore illegal entry and residence of some foreign nationals in the city and a likely design against the security of the country, though not conclusively established, said Mr.A.K. Khan, Commissioner of Police.

Mohammed Saleem, 23, a resident of Pashin in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan, with a specific travel document for Visakhapatnam left for Hyderabad a day after his arrival in the city, which led to detection of another `Pakistani national' -- Mohammed Abbas -- residing here without proper documents for quite a few years.

Two other accomplices of Abbas residing in Visakhapatnam have since gone underground and a search is on for them. Following coordinated enquiries by the police in Hyderabad regarding Saleem's travel to that place, two persons in Hyderabad were also found absconding, said Mr. Khan, at a press conference here.

Saleem, a worker in a medical shop managed by his brother in Pakistan, had come to India in the last week of April by the Samjhauta Express to Delhi, where he was received by Md. Kasim Khan and Obeidullah Khan, belonging to Krishna district. They identified Saleem with the help of a photograph with them. They came to Vijayawada by the Link Express on April 26 after a two- day stay in Delhi and from there Obeidullah accompanied Saleem to Visakhapatnam the same day.

Saleem, who calls himself Abdul, was received by a money-lender of Railway New Colony, Mohammed Abbas. After presenting his papers (he has a general visa for one month) at the police commissionerate on April 27 for stamping, he did not turn up for collecting it on April 30 and instead sent Abbas for fetching them. The Special Branch Inspector insisted on Saleem coming to him in person.

Though he initially denied having gone to Hyderabad a day after his arrival at Visakhapatnam, he told the police that he had come to India for `nikaah' with a girl in Hyderabad, after a railway ticket to Hyderabad was found. The match was reportedly settled in absentia a year ago. If the girl was in Hyderabad, why was the visa taken for Visakhapatnam? This and some other aspects made the police interrogate him. No documents or evidence was available as on date with the police to prove any anti-India designs, Mr. Khan told reporters.

Abbas would be charge-sheeted with violation of Sec. 14 of the Registration of Foreigners' Act and produced before the court, the Commissioner said. Surveillance would continue on him until he proved his nationality and produced credentials. As per the police information, he had come to India in 1993 and settled here. He was produced before the reporters on Sunday morning.

The other two -- Azam Khan and Aminullah Khan, both of doubtful antecedents staying with Abbas -- were absconding. A search and enquiries about them had already started. Both had come to Visakhapatnam in the last one to two years.

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