For word ‘BOMB’ on their bag, 2 Kashmiri girls detained at IGI Airport in New Delhi

Both MBBS students of Bangladesh college let off, putting up at J&K House for night, reaching Srinagar on Saturday morning

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, June 17: Security authorities at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Friday detained two Kashmiri girls, Huzefa Mushtaq of Kursoo Rajbagh and Naqshab Ashraf of Shaheed Gunj Srinagar, who were returning from Dhaka to Srinagar via Kolkata.

Family members of the two girls told STATE TIMES that Huzefa and Naqshab, who are MBBS students with Bangladesh Medical College Dhaka, left for India last night. Their flight took off at Dhaka airport at 9.30 pm. Traveling with five other Kashmiri female students of MBBS, Huzefa and Naqshab reached Kolkata at 11.30 p.m. and stayed at the airport for the night as they had not exit for person or luggage.

At 6.30 a.m. on Friday, all seven Kashmiri girls boarded Go Air flight at Kolkata and reached IGI Airport New Delhi around 8.30 a.m. On their landing at IGI Airport where they had to catch connecting Go Air flight for Srinagar at 3.30 p.m. Huzefa and Naqshab were detained by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as some passengers pointed out to the security that the word ‘BOMB’ was labelled on their bag.

Both the girls were subjected to thorough questioning and detained for a long time by Delhi Police, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and intelligence agencies. Five other Kashmiri girls were let off. However, they protested the manner of detention and questioning on flimsy ground and asked the officials who the fool on earth would carry a bomb with the label of ‘BOMB’ on the luggage. As Huzefa and Naqshab were not released for two hours, five Kashmiri girls refused to leave the airport. Thereupon, Huzefa and Naqshab urged them to leave for Srinagar so that their parents could learn about their detention and take up the matter with the State government.

On their arrival in Srinagar, the five girls called the parents of Huzefa and Naqshab and narrated the whole story. Huzefa’s father told STATE TIMES that he and Naqshab’s family members met SSP Airprt Srinagar Manzoor Dalal and Go Air Manager Aamir Meraj and sought their help but both expressed helplessness. They maintained till late in the night that they had no knowledge about the safety and whereabouts of their daughters who had not called any of the family members by telephone.

It was late in the night that officials of CID Cell in New Delhi called STATE TIMES and informed that both the girls had been traced. Both had gone out of the airport but returned to stay at the airport for a night in order to board Srinagar-bound Go Air flight at 5.45 a.m. Saturday.

“We went to the airport and got them back. They are now staying comfortably at J&K House Chanakyapuri. We will escort them to airport where they will be boarding Go Air flight for Srinagar at 5.45 a.m. tomorrow. We also arranged their telephonic conversation with their parents”, said a senior CID Cell official in New Delhi.

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