Pune suspect: ‘My daughter is innocent, had come to meet friends’

Srinagar, Feb 02: Mother of 18-year-old Pune girl, who was labelled as “suicide bomber” by security agencies in Kashmir claimed that her daughter “is innocent and is unnecessarily being pushed behind bars without any evidence”.
Sadia Anwar Shaikh was arrested by Kashmir police on January 26, claiming that she was planning to carry out a suicide attack on January 26.
However, her mother said she had gone to Kashmir to meet her friends.
Pune police has also investigated about the girl and found no case or FIR against her.
Shaikh’s mother said, “My daughter is innocent and she was never involved in such things.”
“When I heard her name in the news, I thought it might be some other girl. But when I saw her pictures in the news on TV, I was shocked. It was difficult to believe, because I know my daughter very well. Still I thought that someone might have misused her documents or pictures,” she said.
“The moment I saw her in the news, I could not stop myself and came here. I am right now in a difficult situation. I talked to IGP as well and he told me that they have not found any evidence against her. They told me that they will release her within two days, but they haven’t released her yet.”
She said that despite having no evidence, the police has kept her in custody.
“My daughter doesn’t have a father to fight for her justice. I am moving from one place to another to seek justice for her. I am suffering, fighting alone. My daughter is just 18 years old,” she said. “I never knew I will have to face all these things.”
Additional Director General of Police, Muneer Khan said police was investigating the matter and would release a statement soon.
“There are officials involved who decide on it and it is a group decision, keeping in mind the sensitivity of the matter. So, we need to do our verification and only then we will be able to come to a conclusion,” he said.
“All verification will be done by February 3, and then we will take a final decision.”