Two of the six terrorists involved in Pathankot airbase attack, are suspected to be insiders, top officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told ET. These officials did not want to be identified.
The forensic report due next week, examination of call logs of phones recovered from the attack sites in the airbase and a close scrutiny of personnel at the air force station will help determine the identity of the "insiders", NIA officials said.
Out of the six terrorists, only four were identified as having been outsiders, who crossed the Punjab border with Pakistan, after attacking Pathankot station in the start of the year.
The officials said that the buzz of ‘Insiders’ was strengthened after recovering only four AK-47 guns. These are expected to be used by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists.
Even the Interpol is going to issue the black corner notice, against the four suspects killed by Indian forces. The black corner notice to be issued by Interpol is also against only four suspects killed by Indian forces.
Currently, the NIA officials are inquiring for the two insiders. There were around 3,500 people, including family members of those employed, at the Pathankot airbase during the attack. All those would be the part of the inquiry.
Close scrutiny is on to identify the two people who may not be JEM terrorists. A clarity is expected through the forensic report, the agency receives, next week.
The officials are further speculating that, through the report, even the exact number of the attackers can be found out. NIA Director-General Sharad Kumar said, “So far, we have recovered only four weapons and forensic reports of samples are awaited.”
NIA has collected these samples from the debris of the airbase building that was blasted to kill two suspected terrorists. The agency also established that the four militants entered the airbase on the morning of January 1st by scaling the 11 feet wall and cutting the concertina wire. Investigators say the JEM terrorists had booby-trapped the part of the airbase they were hiding in. The call by one of the terrorists to his mother in Pakistan was made from inside the airbase.
After receiving an alert from Punjab Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, Indian Air Force conducted an aerial survey, it was then, the four terrorists may have panicked, the NIA officials said.
JEM terrorists abducted Singh, on their way to airbase, and left him free after they reached the target area.
Salwinder is currently undergoing the lie detection test and speaking about Singh, NIA D-G Kumar said, “He (Singh) has been interrogated many times. He is also a suspect. We are conducting a polygraph test on him.” There will also be other tests, including one that helps establish Singh's personality profile.
Polygraph tests would also be conducted on Singh's cook Madan Gopal and the caretaker of the Somraj shrine, which is near the airbase. Salwinder's jeweller friend Rajesh Verma will be interrogated immediately after he is discharged from hospital, NIA officials said.
By Phani Ch
