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Amid the ongoing investigation into the illegal entry of Pakistani national Seema Haider into India, five “authorized” Pakistani passports and mobile phones were recovered by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Uttar Pradesh Police after interrogation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that the government is aware of the matter and will provide the information as soon as the details are revealed.
MEA spokeswoman Arindam Bagchi said, “We are aware of the matter. She has appeared in court and is now out on bail. This matter is under investigation, and we will provide more information if available. So far, that’s all I can say.”
The statement came as the central investigative agencies met with the Noida Police over the case. While UP ATS questioned Haider and her Indian partner Sachin Meena for two days, the Noida Police are investigating the case separately, and they are yet to file an indictment.
The couple were questioned by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday and Tuesday.
Officials said they are trying to find out which ID cards Sachin provided for a fake Aadhar card made for Haider.
Pakistani spy? Questions Asked Amidst 5 Retrieval of ‘Authorized’ Passports
The case is being investigated from a possible espionage angle, an allegation which the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh has neither confirmed nor denied, nor denied that there is “sufficient evidence”.
In connection with the ATS interrogation, the state police said two videotapes, four mobile phones, five “authorized” and “unused” Pakistani passports with incomplete name and address, and an ID card from Seema Haider.
When asked if Haider could be a spy for Pakistan, the Director of Special Public Security said it was too early to say. “The issue concerns two countries. Until we have enough evidence, it would not be appropriate to say anything in this regard.”
On the entry of a Pakistani citizen into India through the Nepalese border, Kumar denied that it was a security error, stating that the border is porous and no passports are needed. He added that no team would be sent to Nepal for investigation.
Regarding the possibility of deportation, Kumar evaded a direct response, stating that measures will be taken in accordance with legal procedures.
Seema Haider, from Pakistan’s Sindh province, entered India illegally with her four children on May 13 via Nepal, on a bus. She alleged that she came to live with her lover, Meena, who resides in Rapopura district of Greater Noida.
ATS probe results
The couple first connected in 2020 through the online game PUBG. After 15 days of playing, they exchanged their WhatsApp numbers, UP Police said in a statement on Wednesday, summarizing the findings of the ATS questioning that took place on Monday and Tuesday.
According to the police, Meena and Haider met in person for the first time in March this year in Kathmandu, Nepal, where they stayed together from March 10 to 17. Arrived on a 15 day tourist visa on May 10th.
In Nepal, she made her way from Kathmandu to Pokhara, where she spent the night. On the morning of 12 May, Haider took a bus from Pokhara and crossed the border into India via the Siddharthnagar border district of Rupandihi Khonwa (Khunwa). Traveling through Lucknow and Agra, she reached the cut-off of Rabhupura, Gautam Buddha Nagar, on 13 March. Mina had already rented a room in Rabopura, where they started living together, according to the UP Police statement.
On 4 July, Haider was arrested by the local police for illegal entry into India, while Meena was arrested for harboring illegal immigrants. However, they were both granted bail by a local court on 7 July and have been living with her four children in a house in Rabopura district.
Meanwhile, Pakistani intelligence agencies have informed the government that the primary factor behind the mother-of-four’s illegal entry into India is “love”.
(with PTI input)
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