Date:07/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/07/stories/2008040758810900.htm

Tamil Nadu

Military Intelligence, IB send teams to interrogate two Iranians

C. Jaishankar

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have sent expert teams to interrogate two Iranians, who clandestinely arrived here from Sri Lanka last week.

While the MI was represented by Colonel, Mayan George, the IB was represented by Asim Alam, a Persian expert from New Delhi.

The Iranians — Aziz Ullah Kushnishin (75) son of Izzadullah and Mohamud Hussain Zadar (58) son of Mohamud Jalal — landed at Arichamunai on Thursday along with a group of 12 refugees from Sri Lanka.

They initially told the intelligence agencies that after reaching India through the Pakistan border by illegal means, they stayed in a few cities in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and others. They said they went to Sri Lanka through an illegal boat journey from Rameswaram for their treatment. However, they retracted their statements later.

Accompanied by the local officials, IB and MI officials conducted a daylong enquiry with Aziz Ullah Kushnishin on Sunday at Rameswaram.

Highly placed sources told The Hindu that the Iranians had claimed that they belonged to ‘Jihad Feef Sabiphullah,’ a banned religious hardcore party in Iran. Mr. Kushnishin was one of the leaders of the party. Since their opponents “killed” some of their prominent leaders, they fled Iran, fearing for their life.

The interrogation had, so far, revealed that accompanied by two more Iranians, Shanaz Vezari (28) and Mohamed Ali Jedda (40), they spent several months in cities such as Colombo, Kalpitia, Mannar in Sri Lanka. It was not clear whether they had any connection with the LTTE during their stay in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Kushnishin claimed that they took shelter in Sri Lanka for a “peaceful life” and to get treatment for his ailing health.

However, the officials said a clear picture would emerge only after a thorough investigation of their claims, as they gave different versions to their illegal arrival to India.