ISI agent escapes from police custody

Pune, Jan 24 (UNI) An Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agent Sayeed Ahmed alias Mohammed Desai of Pakistan, who was under supervision of the Sahkarnagar police station, has gone missing from last evening.

The Sahkarnagar police has lodged a missing report in this case.

The Police Commissioner Office informed here today that Deputy Commissioner of Police Satish Khandare (Zone II) and other senior police officers visited the Sahkarnagar police station and have dispatched teams to various places in the city and district to locate Desai. A team was sent to Kolhapur where his in-laws were living.

Senior Police Inspector of Sakharnagar H N M Shaikh said Desai had asked a constable at the Police station to come with him for having tea. ''The constable went to toilet and asked Desai to wait till he returns. But Desai took the file of his documents and walked out of the police station,'' Shaikh said.

The Sahkarnagar police had arrested Desai in June 1999 for allegedly passing vital information to Pakistan intelligence agency.

The police had also arrested his wife in Kolhapur on the charge of overstaying. She had admitted that her husband was working for ISI.

When Desai pleaded guilty in October 2007, the court sentenced him to seven years rigorous Imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000.

By that time he had already spent over eight years in Jail. So he was released from the Yerawada Central Prison on October 27 and since then he is under the supervision of the Sahkarnagar police.

The city police then submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi to expedite his deportation to Pakistan.

Earlier this month, Desai went on a hunger strike on January 4 demanding immediate deportation to Karachi.

Police Commissioner Jayant Umranikar has submitted a revision application in the Pune district and session court, pleading to set aside the order passed by the trial court directing him to deport Desai. Umranikar said the court cannot issue direction to him to deport the spy as it was in gross violation of the Foreigners Act.

Desai was supposed to be present at Shivajinagar court today for the final decision on Umranikar's revision application.

UNI SP SR BDP AS1856