Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Oct 4: Though in a foreign land for the past over two decades now, KZF's Ranjeet Singh Neeta still has his full say in a "local" circle of contractors. Be it the construction of lanes and drains, or roads and buildings, he calls the shots from Pakistan to manage contracts for his "close" acquaintances here.
He had fled to Pakistan to save his life, following a massive police crackdown on KZF cadres here in 1980s.
He had clandestinely left home at Simbal Camp here, walked up to the border along RS Pura town, about 10 km from his residence, and then slipped into Pakistan. Since then, he has been operating from across the border and maintaining a close liaison with his contacts in Jammu, especially in the Simbal Camp locality.
Quoting local inputs, police sources said Neeta was in constant touch with several of his acquaintances at Simbal Camp over phone. "Though there are almost no takers of his militant ideology in the locality, his interference continues in the R&B construction works here to ensure that his men get good contracts to earn more money," the sources added.
In return, the "beneficiaries" might be handing a part of the profit money to his "close" contacts to be sent to him through hawala channels, sources said.
While he made frequent calls till a few years back to influence the select group of local contractors, their number had come down for the past some time. This could be due to the arrest of some of his accomplices in murder, and other cases, the sources added.
Sources said though he had also been trying to win over some locals, he had so far failed to find any taker of his militant ideology.
"Whenever he calls up his acquaintances at Simbal Camp from Pakistan, he allegedly discusses with them the idea of reviving KZF activities on this side of the border," sources said, quoting the locals who were privy to the phone conversations.
But the time had now changed and there were no takers of his militant ideology at Simbal Camp, or in any other city locality. "People are nowadays concerned more on their development and education to their children. No one is interested in bloodshed and spoiling the peaceful atmosphere of the region," the sources added.
The locals felt that Neeta was acting on the directives of Pakistan which had given him a shelter.
They have also conveyed their concern to the Government as regards the extension of amnesty not only to Kashmiri youth but also to the Sikh youth who too have taken asylum in Pakistan to wage a war against India. |
