By Sheikh Imran Bashir, AIP,
Srinagar: Six teenagers trying to cross over to Pakistan were caught in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district and handed over to their parents Tuesday.
These boys were detained when they were found at Regipora Kupwara with intention of infiltrating to other side of boarder.
The teens were re-united by the police with their families in the presence of media in Baramulla.
Information was received by Police Station Pattan regarding the missing of six youth belonging to village Palhalan of Tehsil Pattan. After receiving the said information, a massive hunt was launched by Police for tracing the missing children. The group was later on intercepted when they were planning to cross the Line of Control in the border district of Kupwara.
Deputy Inspector General of Police AQ Manhas said the youths belonged to north Kashmir’s Palhalan village.
According to Manhas this Group of six teens belonging to Palhalan village of Tehsil Pattan who were studying in New Islamia Model School Palhalan planned to cross the LoC when they made some money after winning a cricket match at Palhalan. The group then decided to cross the border in order to procure arms training so that they could skip the school and avoid the vagaries of life. This group of youth started their journey from Palhalan, then traveling to Kupwara via Sopore. After reaching Kupwara, they went to a local Mosque at Regipora Kupwara. It was here where the Imam of the local Mosque suspecting their intentions handed them over to Police Station Kupwara. Later on, they were handed over to Police Station Pattan, where from they are being handed over to their parents today.
While talking to Agence India Press AQ Manhas said, all of them are young and we did not keep them in the lock up. They were kept in the police station building instead.
Officer said, we are handing them over to their parents. The decision has been taken on humanitarian grounds with the view to reform them and protect their future.