18 Kashmiris traders detained ahead of Prime Minister’s visit

KANPUR: Eighteen fruit traders from Kashmir were rounded up on Wednesday night in Sachendi and Juhi area where they were staying in houses rented out by local fruit businessmen.

While 14 traders were released in Juhi on personal guarantees local businessmen furnished, the four picked up from Sachendi have been asked to stay in the room near Chakarpur fruit mandi.

Police officers said the decision was taken as a precaution ahead of the prime minister’s rally on March 8 in Nirala nagar. SP rural Pradhumn Singh said Samir Ahmad Dar of Pulwama, Atif Ali, Farrukh and Jafar of Kulgam were questioned and their credentials checked by the Sachendi police. “They were never in police custody, it was just a routine affair,” he said.

“I asked them about their credentials and when they told me about the places they were from I thought it is appropriate they should be questioned because of the VIP visit,” said SHO Sachendi, Raghvendra Singh adding, “As of now nothing has been found suspicious about them and they have been asked to remain in the kothri (room) and keep working,” he said.

Another batch of 14 Kashmiri traders was taken to the police station and questioned about the reason they were in Kanpur. For five hours they remained in the police station before their local contacts showed up with their identity card and furnished their guarantees. Neetu Singh, a fruit trader, said those called in for questioning were doing business with him and others for several years. But SHO Juhi KK Dixit said it was imperative for him to question the Kashmiris because they were from a sensitive place.