Problems for Rashtriya Janata Dal member Shahabuddin seem to be far from over as the police in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to question him for his alleged links with pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen. Shahabuddin, who has been in judicial custody after his arrest in 2005 in connection with various cases including murder and abductions, could face tough questions as the state police claims that he had received two consignments of arms from Kupwara early in 2000, which included deadly AK rifles as well, official sources said.
Shahabuddin charged with sedition
They said they had earlier asked Bihar police to help in tracing the MP but could not manage to get him. "We were told by our Bihar counterparts that the MP was not traceable," a senior officer, engaged in the investigation, said.
After his arrest in 2005 following recovery of some arms, the Jammu and Kashmir police are now preparing grounds for questioning him after a militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit said during interrogation that he had supplied AK rifles and pistols to him in Delhi.
A report to this effect had also been sent to the Union Home Ministry. During the nearly three-year-long investigations, police had arrested a militant of Hizbul Mujahideen Mushtaq Ahmed, who, during interrogation, revealed that Shahabuddin had visited Kupwara town on three occasions during which he had fixed a deal for supply of arms and ammunition to him in Delhi, the sources said.
The state police, along with central intelligence agencies, had sent a report to the Home Ministry and also shared the information with Director General of Bihar Police and Inspector General of Muzzafarpur about the links.
According to the report, the MP is claimed to have got in touch with some of the Kashmiri students studying in Siwan's dental college, who turned out to be sleeping cells of Hizbul Mujahideen. On their insistence, Shahabuddin travelled to Kulan gaon in Kupwara on three occasions. Twice he is said to have met senior Hizb commanders and fixed a deal for supplying AK-47 and pistols to him.
The first consignment comprising three AK-47 rifles and three pistols were sent to him in apple truck and the MP is alleged to have received it from Azadpur Subzi Mandi and later drove in his personal car to his official residence at Six-Meena Bagh in Srinagar, the sources said adding, the arms were later taken to a house in Muzzafarpur.
The second consignment comprised only three AK-47 rifles and the delivery of the same were again allegedly taken by Shahabuddin from Murthal on the outskirts of the national capital before being smuggled to Patna.
Interestingly, Bihar police recovered the consignment but did not arrest the MP despite being given all the evidence by the Jammu and Kashmir police. The MP finally ran out of luck in April 2005 when he was arrested following recovery of Self-Loading Rifles from his ancestral house in Siwan.
