It is worth mentioning that Indian citizens are required to declare criminal cases against them, a move which can be the deciding factor for the issuance of passport.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police will most likely scrutinise passport issuing procedures in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri area after it came to the fore that Kaifaitullah Khan, accused of sending state secrets to a Pakistani intelligence operative, had been issued a passport by the authorities there.
It is worth mentioning that Indian citizens are required to declare criminal cases against them, a move which can be the deciding factor for the issuance of passport. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, following the arrest of Kaifaitullah Khan had said that the accused had a criminal background and had been charged previously as well. It it yet to be known how Kaifaitullah managed to get a passport as well as the year in which the travel document was issued as it is believed that he began to work for the PIO from 2013, the year he visited Pakistan.
Moreover, a 'recommendation letter' written by a separatist leader of Rajouri area in favour of Kaifaitullah had also been recovered from the accused's possession, as claimed by police sources. The letter, which many separatist leaders write, when approached by people to do so, is more like a request made to the Pakistan High Commission to grant visa to the concerned person for travelling to Pakistan.
The separatist leader in this case, has been identified as Sharief Sartaj, of the Freedom Movement group, aligned with Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's Tehreek-e-Hurriyat party. While speaking to dna Sharief said, "We only make a formal request to the authorities in Pakistan for a visa when people approach us and we do not entertain anyone who does not posses a passport. Generally those who have been issued a passport are cleared by state agencies. It is their job to screen the people applying for passport, how would we know who is a criminal and who is not".
Meanwhile, intelligence sources said that Crime Branch had detained a retired BSF officer in Rajouri area for questioning but was later released. The Crime Branch official denied that they had detained anyone on Wednesday but told dna that at least 4-5 suspects will be questioned in the coming week. On Sunday, the Crime Branch arrested Abdul Rasheed, a head constable with the BSF who is being accused of procuring information about security development and sending it to Kaifaitullah who was arrested Thursday last week.
While Rasheed was arrested from J&K, Kaifaitullah was taken into custody from Delhi while he was on his way to Bhopal to attend a religious gathering. Police came he had gone there to collect information and scout for recruits. His family has denied the accusations calling them baseless.
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