24 Kashmiris caught at UP-Nepal border

Agarwal said their addresses in Kashmir were verified with the help of local police,and a team of SSB officials was accompanying the families to Kashmir where they will be handed over to the local police. The Jammu and Kashmir government has a rehabilitation policy to settle families returning from Pakistan,he said.

However,Kashmir zone IG S M Sahai said he had not yet received any such information.

Our CID wing is a nodal agency to deal with such issues. This is a routine process and we will look into the matter after the group reaches here, he said.

On April 30,a group of 40 Kashmiris 11 men,seven women and 22 children was intercepted at the same check-post by SSB personnel. They had travelled from Pakistan and entered Indian territory through Nepal. They were sent to Kashmir.

Sources said the five men in the group,all in early 40s,said they had gone to PoK in 1990. They claimed to have worked at militant training camps,but never attended any training. They got married to girls belonging to Kashmiri families settled there.