Leh, Laddakh, Jul 14 : As security agencies probe the motive behind the infiltration of three Chinese Muslims through India-China Line of Actual Control, the trio is singing a different tune.
If the responses of the three persons to the interrogators are to be believed, it was the charm of Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan that apparently drove them to India. They were detained last month.
The three -- Salamo, Abdul Khaliq and Adil Thorsong -- at present in the custody of security agencies at Margo post in North of Ladakh after being detained on June 12 had told their interrogators about their dreams to enter India and earn money as they were facing acute poverty in their region, official sources said.
According to the sources, there was incoherence in their statements except that they were mesmerised by the charm of Bollywood superstars -- Khan and Roshan.
The three claimed that they were driven out by extreme poverty from home and wanted to come to India because they had seen it as a land of prosperity on the sliver screen, the sources said.
All the three claimed during their interrogation, which was done separately, that the movies of Khan and Roshan were a hit in their area --- Kargalilik of Xinjiang province.
The trio, who knew only two languages -- Yarkandi and Uyghur -- gave a different version about their family background and the way used by them to come into India.
The security agencies were still not convinced and their interrogation would continue, the sources said.
The three men, aged between 18 and 23, one of whom is one-eyed, were nabbed inside Indian territory on June 12 near Sultanchku.
They were at present in the custody at Murgo post where the interrogators were flown along with a translator.
It was also not clear from where they had come as the nearest habitation across the Line of Actual Control(LAC) was in North of Karakoram range.
Authorities are working on the possibility that they could have entered through either Raki Nallah, Jeevan Nallah or North of Daulat Beig Oldie, where Indian and Chinese troops had a face-off for nearly 21 days from April 15 to May five.
The three men also could not give a clear description of the areas used by them to come to India. Besides this, apprehension was being expressed that the three could have been headed towards Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir which is barely 30 kms up North of the area where they were nabbed.
The three men were carrying a big political map and two smaller versions of the document with Arabic and Yarkandi script on it.
Besides this, they were carrying improvised swords and knives, tinned food including egg powder (useful in higher region), Chinese currency of over 900 Yuan and Chinese leather jackets.
The three claimed that the jackets, discarded by the Chinese troops, were picked enroute.
Both summer and winter road connectivity to this post were cut off due to bad weather in Ladakh region this year and therefore, the security agencies airlifted the interrogators and the translators to the post where they were detained.
According to the laid down procedure along the LAC, the custody of any accused apprehended in the area has to be with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and interrogation can be carried out by central security agencies.
