'Afghan' under watch questioned by cops

NAGPUR: A 37-year-old man has been detained by the special branch of the city police early on Wednesday. Sher Mohammed alias Aslam Khan, born out of an Afghan father and an Assamese mother, was grilled after the cops grew suspicious of his activities in Nagpur. It`s learnt that he was under watch for several months.
Intelligence agencies had rounded up several illegal immigrants from Bangladesh recently from Mominpura.The city, because of its central location and well-networked transport facilities, has been considered as a crucial transit and meeting point for anti-nationals. Various security agencies have been on their toes for sometime now.
Khan, a rugs and blanket vendor, had been staying on rent at the residence of a politician`s brother at Mominpura. He was under the scanner of the intelligence agencies for the last six months. The special branch sleuths too had questioned him regarding his activities in the past.
The cops said that Khan claimed that he had been staying at Nagpur for the last 17 years. However, cops have also found several documents in his possession which was issued by authorities in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. The documents included residential proof of the place too. The cops have also found residential proofs like ration card and receipts of property taxes of his Nagpur residence.
The intelligence sleuths have also found a license issued by the Regional Transport office in Nagpur. The license has also roused doubts in the minds of the cop who feel that the document may have been issued under mysterious circumstances.
Khan had also recently submitted an application for passport from Nagpur. The cops are trying to verify whether the documents were original. Khan had also submitted applications for entering his name in the electoral roll.
Khan also told cops that he had purchased a property at Satranjipura with the help of a bank loan but had to sell it off after facing losses in business. Sources said that cops are also keen to know about the details of the calls that he had been making to Afghanistan.
During the grilling, Khan is learnt to have said that those calls were made to his friends and family members who stay there. Khan has also claimed that his mobile phone was used by some of his Afghan friends who come to meet him in Nagpur for business purposes.
The cops have also learnt that an offence had been registered at the Tehsil police station against Khan for assault and threatening in 2004.