Security scare at RSS headquaters

Nagpur, Oct 8 (UNI) There was a security scare at the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here after a van entered the high-security cordon around the building.

Sheikh Arif Sheikh Khalil (40), a businessman from Wadsa in Gadchiroli district, had wandered into the security zone trying to reach his friend's home in the area, late last night, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prabhat Kumar said.

However, the police remained in a state of high alert for several hours as they found some car batteries, an inverter and a trolley in the van. It turned out that Khalil dealt in car batteries and had made the purchases from a local market.

Police surrounded Khalil's van and took him into custody after he drove through the barricades around the RSS headquarters. The presence of the batteries and other material raised their suspicions, and he was taken to a nearby police station for questioning, Kumar said. The barricades had been removed some time earlier for a police vehicle to pass through.

Khalil claimed that he was merely trying to reach his friend's house nearby, and had entered the cordon as someone told him that it was a short cut. The person whom Khalil named as his friend corroborated the story, and a chartered accountant identified the businessman.

Khalil also produced his PAN (Permanent Account Number) card and the registration and tax papers of his vehicle. Convinced that Khalil had committed a genuine mistake, the police let him go, Kumar added.

Security has been tightened around the RSS HQ here after the police gunned down three suspected militants trying to storm into the building. The area around the building has been cordoned off with barricades, and entry has been restricted.

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