Cops send Afghan student back home

Sultan Hussain Tughyan,a third year BA student of the Abeda Inamdar College on Azam Campus,along with another Afghan national,were sent back in the last week of December. Tughyan had come to Pune in 2008 and had been staying at the college hostel,police said. Sources said suspicious material related to Israel was found in his possession.

P A Inamdar,president of the Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society confirmed Sultan was a student of Abeda Inamdar. “What we know is his Visa renewal was opposed by police,after which he went back. We are not aware of involvement in any suspicious activities. If he were,police would have arrested him,” Inamdar said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (special branch) Makrand Ranade said,“He was deported as his presence in the country was undesirable.”

Police figures show the special branch deported 70 foreigners and issued Leave India notices to 117 in 2010. Ranade said most hail from Iran and Afghanistan.

“We are not deporting foreigners of any particular country. Any foreign national involved in undesirable activities is sent back,” Ranade said.

In August,the special branch had deported an Iranian research student,Mostafa Safavi,studying at the University of Pune after police suspected he was spying after he was found collecting information on a private company in the city. Police had also taken objections to a group of Afghan youths planning to start a magazine in the city last year.

“Many foreigners are found doing activities they are not supposed to do in the country. It is not worth keeping such foreigners in the country. Arresting them,gathering evidence and proving it in court,is a lengthy process. So they are deported or issued leave India notices after following proper procedure,” an officer said.