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| Ponywalas, who belong to J&K's militancy infested areas, come under police scanner at Katra | | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Oct 26: Some "ponywalas", who carry pilgrims from Banganga in Katra to the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi in Trikuta Hills, have come under police scanner.
Most of them come from the J&K's far-flung areas which still have the presence of militants. Since they are poor, there are chances of their falling in the trap of militants for money, feels a senior officer of a premier security agency.
And, his apprehension is not unfounded. A few years back, two ponywalas were arrested by security forces for their alleged involvement in a bomb explosion in Latti area of Udhampur. Their interrogation revealed that they had been roped in by militants to also carry out acts of terror on the Vaishnodevi pilgrimage track in lieu of a few thousand rupees.
"We have specific inputs which suggest that militants can use some ponywalas, who hail from the inaccessible areas of Udhampur, Reasi and Doda, to cause trouble on the eve of the forthcoming festival season," the officer said.
"We have asked agencies to keep a constant eye on them, and find out if there was any element of suspicion in their activities," he added.
This was the main reason for not lowering the vigil in and around Katra town even after the completion of the nine-day auspicious navratra festival, the officer said.
Majority ponywalas come to Katra from the remote areas of the state to make their livelihood. They belong to different communities.
On July 15 last, during stepped up vigil on the Katra-Vaishnodevi track against any act of sabotage by militants and their "local" sympathisers, police had seized at least 40 fake registration cards of ponywalas.
A possible nexus had then surfaced between ponywalas and the authorities concerned. The checking, which was random, was done by a special police team led by Reasi SSP Raghubir Singh.
The "unregistered" ponywalas were found overcharging from pilgrims and often indulging in thefts. They used to win the confidence of the pilgrims. Some trusted them so much that they deposited their bags and other belongings with them while going to the bhavan. On their return, they would find the ponywalas missing.
Police complaints in these cases also yielded no results as during investigation, it was found that the rogue ponywalas carried fake registration cards and no details were available about them with the authorities concerned.
If these ponywalas indulged in terror acts also, it would become difficult for police and other agencies to locate them, the officer said.
He said utmost care was being exercised in the holy Katra town and on the pilgrimage track to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
Autoricksha operators had also been told by police that they would be rewarded suitably in case they passed on to them some vital information about militants, and their sympathisers.
Police sources said cops had been put on high alert in Katra town for the protection of pilgrims. Cops in mufti had also been taking rounds of the town to keep an eye on anti-social and anti-national elements, the sources added.
Souces said hotel managers in Katra had also been asked to contact police in case any suspicious person checked in their establishments. |
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