Delhi Police releases 4 JeM 'suspects' after holding counselling sessions

New Delhi: Four out of 10 youths detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday night on suspicion of being Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operatives have been released after no evidence was found against them.

According to reports, Mohsin (35), Zishan (19), Imran (23) and Muzahir (26), returned home after being interrogated. The youths were counselled and ‘deradicalised’ before being set free.

During the investigation, the chats on their WhatsApp accounts and Facebook messenger were analysed. But nothing incriminating was found. Furthermore, there was no evidence of their direct involvement in making IED. Hence, they were released, a Delhi police official said.

“It is a very sensitive case and we carried out the investigation thoroughly. We made sure we didn’t arrest the wrong people. This is why we only arrested three out of 13 persons we picked up on Tuesday night. Since no direct involvement of these youths was found, we let them go,” a police source was quoted as saying.

The youths, though happy to be set free, fear they will not be accepted back by society.

Marathon counselling sessions lasting for hours were conducted to deradicalise the youths, who harboured anger about the ‘state of Muslims’ in the country. They will have to continue attending regular counselling sessions with a noted psychiatrist appointed by the Special Cell. Others who are part of the team are officials of the special unit of Delhi Police, a maulana belonging to a local NGO, the lawyer on record and immediate family members.

Meanwhile, the other six detainees, who are still under the scanner, are being questioned.