2 aides of ISI agent sent to judicial custody

The UP ATS on Monday presented Altaf Bhai Qureshi and Jawad, who were arrest in Mumbai, in court. The two are aides of ISI agent Aftab Ali, who was arrested by the UP ATS from Faizabad district on May 3.

The UP ATS had arrested them on Ali’s revelation. On Monday, cops brought them to Lucknow on a transmit remand and presented them at the district court which sent both to judicial custody. The UP ATS will again present them in court on Tuesday to seek their police custody remand.

IG ATS Asim Arun said Qureshi was in hawala trade and provided money to Ali for sharing crucial information with his ISI handlers. The ATS also recovered ₹70 lakh from him.

Ali, a resident of Faizabad’s Khawaspura locality, was arrested on a tip-off provided by the military intelligence and state intelligence agency, said Arun.

“Ali was spying for Pakistan’s ISI, for the past three years,” claimed Arun. “The ISI operatives, who were keeping vigil over Ali’s quest to visit Pakistan took advantage of his desperateness and approached him on telephone in 2014, offering to facilitate visa clearance if he clicked pictures of Faizabad Cantonment area for them,” he said. Ali visited Pakistan twice since, in 2014 and 2016. The ISI operatives provided him some other facilities during his Pak visit in 2014. .

“Ali was also in touch with an official in Pakistan embassy in Delhi. The name of the official is being verified,” said Aditya Mishra, ADG, law & order.