NIA quizzes kin of ‘TMC worker’ over links with ISI

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Monday interrogated the three family members arrested by the Kolkata police special task force (STF) here for alleged links with Pakistan’s ISI.

The accused, Ershad Ansari (52), his son Ashfaque Ansari (22) and brother-in-law Mohammad Jehangir (48) — booked for waging a war against the state and several other charges — were remanded in two weeks’ police custody by the Bankshall Court on Monday.

According to sources, a two-member NIA team grilled them at city police headquarters in Lalbazar about their roles in the espionage module, allegedly run by Ershad’s elder brothers Iqbal and Irfan, now working for the ISI, sources revealed.

The NIA’s move came after the STF recovered several maps of Netaji Subhas Dock and the state defence manufacturer, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), and pictures of Indian warships from Ershad.

Incidentally Ershad, known to be a Trinamul leader, worked as a contract labourer in the GRSE, which builds warships and vessels for the Navy and Coast Guard. A Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau team also interrogated the trio on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, GRSE chairman-cum-managing director Rear Admiral (Retd.) A.K. Verma held a a meeting with the ministry of defence officials in New Delhi. He said, “Security has been beefed up at the shipyard. We will also do whatever we need to do to strengthen our security systerm. We are now waiting for the reply from the Central Industrial Security Force which was approved six months ago to take over the security of the GRSE.”