Srinagar, Aug 23: Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have detained 24 Kashmiris, including women and children, who were trying to enter India through the Indo-Nepal border. Those arrested are residents of Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir and they were returning from Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
According to police, these people would be booked under the Egress and Internal Movement Control Act (EIMCA) ahead of their release.
Police here said that the detained people had traveled from Pakistan Administered Kashmir and were trying to enter India through Nepal border. They were detained by SSB sleuths and after the intervention of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, they are being brought here.
“Hopefully these people will arrive here Saturday morning. They will be accompanied by SSB and contingents of JK Police,” a senior police officer dealing with the case told Greater Kashmir.
“Almost all of them are from Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir. Among them are some women and children,” he said.
The police officer said that these people were stopped by SSB and local police for checking Tuesday evening when they failed to produce valid documents about their identity. “They were questioned by police and SSB officials. They have told the police that some of them had crossed over to Pakistan Administered Kashmir around 20 years ago and got married there,” the officer said, adding that there was no objectionable material in their possession.
The officer said that investigations against them will be carried out by Counter Insurgency Kashmir (CIK) wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. “These people will be booked under EIMCA. The CIK wing is dealing the militancy related cases and they will ascertain their credentials and report to higher authorities,” he said.
The officer said that earlier the people who returned to Kashmir through Nepal or some other route were taken into custody by JK Police. They were booked under EIMCA and later most of them were bailed out by respective courts.
These 24 people are entitled to get benefits under the rehabilitation policy announced by Omar Abdullah-led J&K Government. The Government has announced rehabilitation policy for all those youth who had crossed over to Pakistan Administered Kashmir from 1989 to 2010 for arms training, but had not indulged in any militant activity and are ready to return, surrender and settle as normal citizens.
The rehabilitation policy was announced in November 2010 with a claim that some youth are ready to return. However the then Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram, had maintained that there were "practical issues" in implementing the policy.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST