The relatives and family members have questioned the arrest of a Kashmiri man in 17 year-old Red Fort attack case, terming the detention unwarranted and uncalled for.
The family members staged a protest here in Press Enclave Srinagar describing the arrest of Bilal Ahmed Kawa in New Delhi as a move to subdue and torment people of Kashmir. Pertinently, in a joint operation, the Delhi Police and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Kashmiri man Bilal Ahmed Kawa on Wednesday from the T-3 terminal of the Delhi Airport. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad has labeled him as a suspect allegedly involved in the 2000 Red Fort attack in New Delhi.
Three people, including two Army jawans, were killed in the December 22, 2000 Red Fort attack. The family members of Kawa said that he has been arrested on “frivolous” charges and agencies are trying to implicate him in a case in which he has no hand at all. “He was only a teenager in 2000, when this incident had happened in which he has been implicated. What is making them arrest my son after 17 years of this incident,” said Kawa’s mother Fatima Banoo. Kawa, who according to his family deals in pelts and even owns an accommodation on Chamelian Road, near Filmistan Cinema, Sadar Bazar, New Delhi is a frequent traveler to the place in connection with his business. The family members said that at the time of arrest Bilal Ahmed Kawa was only carrying homemade collards and bread. “This is totally baseless that he had come to perform a major attack ahead on January 26. I am unable to understand to how could he have carried any attack with eatables? Was he carrying any ammunition?” said Fatima adding that his son had gone to Delhi for a medical check-up as he is suffering from high cholesterol level. Kawa hails from Aali Kadal area of old Srinagar city and has two minor daughters aged 10 and 6. Kawa’s relatives also termed the reports by some media outlets as baseless in which it was mentioned that he(Kawa) used to camouflage his identity by frequently changing his attire and looks. “Are masterminds of attacks given Aadhaar cards?” said his relatives. “It is irony that Indian news channels have cropped up one of his photographs in which he has been sitting in a hotel along with her minor daughter and has been labeling him as a terrorist and even claiming that his arrest is a setback to Hafiz Saeed,” they said adding that ADGP Kashmir, Munir Khan assured them all possible help when they met him.