--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **** http://www.GOANET.org **** --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 International Goan Convention Toronto, Canada
http://www.2008goanconvention.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Youth freed after 2 years in Goa, re-arrested in Delhi [Greater Kashmir] ZULFIKAR MAJID Srinagar, July 11: A Kashmiri youth, acquitted by a Goa court of charges of possessing explosives, was re-arrested at Delhi Airport Thursday when he was on way to Srinagar, according to his family. Tariq Ahmad Batloo son of Jala-ud-Din of Badyar Basant Bagh here, working as a salesman in Goa, was arrested by Goa Police on March 3, 2006 on charges of possessing explosives. "It was March 3, 2006 when my brother was arrested by the Goa police, but we came to know about it on March 11 when Tariq was shown on TV channels. Tariq had been arrested when he was coming out from a Masjid after offering Friday prayers," Tariq's brother, Parvez Ahmad, told Greater Kashmir. Parvez and his cousin rushed to Goa after the arrest of Tariq in 2006. "When we met Tariq, he requested to arrange a lawyer from Kashmir for him. Police had implicated him in a false case. We stayed in Goa for a week and met Tariq twice." Tariq's family arranged a lawyer who went to Goa to plead his case. "No lawyer in Goa was willing to fight Tariq's case," Parvez revealed. Finally, the Goa court acquitted Tariq on July 10 after more than two years of imprisonment. Back home his family was jubilant and his brother Parvez and cousin Asif Iqbal went to Goa to receive Tariq. "Yesterday, after completing all the formalities, Tariq was released from jail. As three of us were coming out of the jail premises, a police Gypsy was following us. We took Tariq to a barber for shave. As we were leaving the shop, policemen bundled all of us in the Gypsy and took us to Vasco police station," Parvez said. At the police station, according to Parvez, they were asked to leave Goa immediately and take first available flight. "We hadn't enough money at disposal, but still decided to go by air at least till Delhi. We were harassed at Goa Airport by the police and agencies. As we were leaving Delhi Airport, a white Ambassador car DL-5020 and a Gypsy followed us." "Suddenly the vehicles stopped and eight to 10 policemen in civvies pounced on Tariq and whisked away him to an unknown destination. We were threatened by the policemen to immediately leave Delhi. We came back by road and just reached home," he said. As the news about Tariq's re-arrest broke out, mourning started at his home. His family members and neighbors have decided to launch protests against the re-arrest of Tariq. "If court acquitted him, why was he re-arrested and that too in Delhi. Kashmiris are being implicated in false cases everywhere in India," Parvez lamented. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=12_7_2008&ItemID=39&cat=1 * * * Youth Arrested After 2.5 Yrs in Goa Jail, Disappears In Custody [Kashmir Observer] Srinagar, July 11, KONS: Set free after two-and-a-half years in a Goa jail, a Kashmiri youth was rearrested at the Delhi airport today and whisked off to an undisclosed location, triggering alarm in his family. Reports indicate that his dramatic re-arrest was masterminded from Goa as plainclothesmen were flashing his description to unknown agencies throughout his departure procedure from the airport. No trace of him has been found after the youth was taken away from Delhi airport by personnel of some unknown force who bullied his companions into silence and refused to divulge his destination. Tariq Ahmad Batlu, arrested by the Goa police during a raid on March 3, 2006, had been produced before the media immediately afterwards and branded a militant. But for over two years, the police failed to prove the charges against him, and he was finally released by a Goa court on Thursday, his brother, Parvez said. His nightmare began afresh soon after the release, as a posse of policemen tracked Batlu, his brother, and cousin to a barber's saloon, and took the trio to a police station. According to Pervez, police officers asked them to leave Goa within an hour, and though they had planned to travel by bus, they were compelled to take a flight. At the Goa airport, they were accosted by policemen in mufti who tried to stall them by detailed questioning, but they were finally allowed to board the flight. All this while, the plainclothesmen were conveying their description and appearance to someone on phone, and were photographing and filming their departure. As the threesome were collecting their baggage on landing at Delhi, nearly a dozen personnel in civvies surrounded them and began inquiring about Batlu. Parvez said that on stepping out of the airport, they found nearly 30 personnel waiting who seized Batlu by hand and bundled him into an Ambassador marked DL 5020. The vehicle was followed by a Gypsy and a Qaulis carrying more personnel who took Batlu to some undisclosed location, his cousin, Asif Iqbal, said. According to Asif, the cousins tried to intervene but were intimidated and harassed into silence. Though they tried to locate Batlu's whereabouts, they failed and returned to Srinagar empty handed. Parvez and Asif said that their families had been plunged into despair by the turn of events, and they had asked the state police chief to intervene personally to secure Batlu's release. http://www.kashmirobserver.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=487:youth-arrested-after-25-yrs-in-goa-jail-disappears-in-custody&catid=50:localnews&Itemid=81