Delhi man arrested on espionage charges had visited Pakistan days before Pahalgam terror attack: Family
Mohammad Harun, a resident of Seelampur in Delhi, visited Pakistan 17 days before the Pahalgam terror attack, his family claimed, news agency ANI reported. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had earlier arrested him on charges of spying and maintaining links with Pakistani agents.
The arrest comes amid a broader ATS crackdown on alleged anti-national activities linked to Pakistan. Mohammad Harun has been charged with spying and maintaining links with Pakistani agents, including officials connected to Islamabad's government and military.
Harun's family claimed he is innocent and was taken without explanation. Talking to reporters, his brother Md Sahid said Harun went with them, but the family lost contact with him soon after. 'When we called, the phone rang a few times and then switched off,' he added.
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'Two people came to Harun's house in civilian uniform, but he wasn't home. They met me and said they were from the passport office. They told me that those who had returned from Pakistan were being called for questioning and would be sent back afterwards,' his brother said.
Sahid further said Harun had visited Pakistan on April 5, and he returned on the 25th of the same month, as he is 'married' there.
The timing of his visit, just before the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, has raised further questions.
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'My husband is innocent,' said Harun's wife, Shabana, claiming that he used to visit his wife in Pakistan and handle visa matters, which were always cleared after proper checks. She alleged that the authorities did not let his family meet before his arrest.
The accused's mother, Rukaiya Begum, suggested her son was misled by a contact named Mujammil during visa-related work. 'He used to go to Pakistan once a year because of his second marriage. If he was under watch for three months, why wasn't he stopped at the border?' she asked.
'I have been living here since I was 12. Harun never said anything suspicious,' news agency ANI quoted Begum, as saying.
Also read: Uttar Pradesh ATS arrests Varanasi resident for allegedly spying for Pakistan
In a separate case, the ATS arrested Tufail, son of Maqsood Alam from Varanasi's Doshipura area. Officials say he was part of a WhatsApp group run by Pakistan-backed networks that promoted extremist views and shared sensitive information.
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