The United Arab Emirates has deported to India a Kashmiri man suspected of being a sympathiser of Islamic State jihadist group, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying on Monday. Irfan Ahmad Zargar, a 36-year-old engineer from Chattatabal area on the outskirts of Srinagar, was deported from Dubai on August 14.
According to unidentified officials, the National Investigation Agency interrogated Zargar for two days and then handed him over to the Jammu and Kashmir Police. There is no case pending against Zargar in the state.
Zargar, who worked in a telecom company in Dubai, was reportedly detained on April 28, when he entered the city from Oman. Zargar reportedly claimed he had travelled to Oman to set up a handicrafts business.
The police in Dubai reportedly questioned him about his activities on social networking sites, especially his appreciation of the jihadist group’s actions in Syria and Iraq, The Times of India quoted unidentified officials as saying.
The Indian consul general in Dubai intervened in the matter after Zargar’s relatives tweeted to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, urging her to trace him. The Dubai authorities, however, refused to deport or release Zargar without completing their investigation.
The Dubai Police also searched his apartment in Sharjah and later took him to an undisclosed location, PTI reported. He was finally sent to India on August 14.
Zargar is the third Kashmiri to have been deported for allegedly being a sympathiser of the terror group. Afshan Parvaiz of Srinagar was deported from Turkey’s capital Ankara on May 25 while Azhar ul Islam of Ganderbal was deported from the UAE last year.
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